


Survival & Release

by Into_The_Mystic



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Shameless Smut, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:42:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24027586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Into_The_Mystic/pseuds/Into_The_Mystic
Summary: Sam saves Jack's life, and Jack refuses to deny his love for her any longer. Only now a new threat has emerged, and they’ll need to fight together for their love to survive.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 50
Kudos: 124





	1. Chapter 1

Sam felt the wind get knocked out of her as the impact to her stomach folded her over. The chaotic scene in front of her played out in slow motion as the force of the blow sent her backwards; the deafening sounds of war becoming muffled. Tunnel vision honed in on Teal'c firing his staff weapon at the Jaffa who had just shot her. Then she felt strong hands wrapping around her body, supporting her as she fell into Jack's lap. She looked down at the gaping wound on her right side. Weird, she thought, there was no pain. She felt the sensation of someone moving her. Cold enveloped her quickly, then darkness...then nothing.

* * *

One second the team was fighting off the large number of Jaffa, while racing towards the Stargate, like so many times before. The next, Jack saw the movement from his right just a little too late. And just as he turned, bracing himself for the expected impact from the Jaffa who got the jump on him; Sam stepped in front of him. It was as if time stood still. He watched her body fold from the impact, "Carter!" Jack's voice was strangled and smothered by the onslaught of staff weapons and gunfire.

He dropped the P90, and the tactical sling kept it from hitting the ground, as his arms instinctively reached out for her. The force of the impact that was meant for him, sent her backwards into his arms... the momentum sending them both to the ground.

What felt like minutes were really seconds. Jack saw the devastating wound and for the first time he could remember, all of his training went out the window and he froze. "Please, no" he whispered frantically while putting his hands over the wound on Sam's right side, the thick blood leaking through his fingers.

"Jack!" Daniel ran towards them. He had already opened the wormhole to Earth, while Teal'c continued to fight from one of the concrete columns that framed the Stargate on either side. When Daniel got to them, he saw the clear signs of shock on Jack's face and then noticed Sam's gaping wound, "Oh God Sam." As he bent down next to her, his mind raced as he watched the blood flow freely through Jack's fingers. Near miss weapons fire pulled him out of his anguish, and he grabbed Jack's shoulder, "Jack, we have to go!"

When Daniel's hand landed on Jack's shoulder, it was as if someone had pressed play. Jack's head snapped up and he yelled, "Grab her!" Daniel immediately pulled Sam up by the handle on the back her tac vest and off of Jack's lap, freeing him so he could get to his feet. Jack looked at Sam's closed eyes and could tell she had stopped breathing. He put one arm behind her back and bent down to put his other arm under her legs. In one swift motion, he picked her up and cradled her lifeless body to his chest. "Cover fire...move!"

Daniel ran beside Jack, covering them with his body while firing his handgun, and joining Teal'c against the onslaught of Jaffa until Jack and Sam were through the wormhole. Daniel and Teal'c followed quickly behind, with weapon fire chasing them through to the other side. As Daniel and Teal'c landed hard on the ramp, blasts came through the blue water mirage, barely missing them and impacting the back wall of the embarkation room. They could hear General Hammond's voice boom over the loudspeaker ordering the iris closed, the blast doors down, and a medical team to respond.

Jack was already on his way to the infirmary with Sam, hugging her to his chest and running with every ounce of strength he could muster. Janet and her team met him halfway with a gurney. Her eyes widened when she saw Sam's limp body and Jack's stricken face. They quickly put Sam on the gurney, and Janet felt for a pulse. When no pulse was found, she jumped up and straddled Sam, unzipped the tac vest, and started compressions while ordering her crew to the OR.

Jack followed the medical team, his emotions reeling with every feeling, from shock and fear... to love and regret. His heart wrenched. Flashes of the only time he felt like this before flew through his mind, when his little boy was being wheeled into the emergency room years ago. And just like then, the feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed him. He didn't feel the hands of the nurses on his shoulders, attempting to hold him back from the surgery room. His legs kept churning forward through the double doors until he stopped at the foot of the table Sam was being transferred to. All he could hear was the sound of his own heavy breathing as he watched nurses cut away Sam's clothing. Another doctor took over compressions for Janet while she donned her surgical gear.

Janet glanced up and noticed Jack's glassy eyes and open mouth while she encircled the straps of the surgical shield around her ears. "Colonel, you have to leave, this is a sterile room." When Jack didn't respond, and the signs of shock became evident to her, she yelled, "Somebody get him out of here!"

Stronger arms then before grabbed Jack from behind, just underneath his armpits, and wrapped around his chest. Before he knew it, Jack had been backed out of the room in a forceful but gentle manner. "O'Neil, we must leave them to assist Major Carter." When they had reached the set of chairs opposite the double doors, Teal'c maneuvered himself in front of Jack, took him by the shoulders, and eased him into one of the seats.

Out of breath, Daniel ran up to the tiny windows of the double doors, glancing through to the blood and the mess inside. He couldn't even see Sam through the medical team working on her. _So much blood._ His hands were braced on either side of the windows at eye level. Daniel bowed his head and closed his eyes, letting his arms support him against the door. Jack and Teal'c heard him take a deep breath, which came out more like a huff and a sob rolled into one. They heard him repeating something over and over, at a whisper level, which sounded an awful lot like a prayer. A few hot tears slipped out and he quickly pulled his glasses up and wiped them away with his one of his sleeves before turning quickly to Teal'c and Jack.

"What happened Jack?" Daniel's voice was raw with emotion as he quickly readjusted his glasses. When Jack didn't answer, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed as anger set in. He needed someone to blame, someone to steer him away from the pain he was feeling. "Goddamn it Jack, say something!" Daniel saw a slight flinch in Jack's eyes but he still wouldn't look at him. He felt his fury boil over as he balled his fists, and closed the distance between them quickly with a few long strides. Jack didn't move.

Teal'c reacted faster, stepping in front of Daniel, and halting his progress with a firm hand to his chest. "Daniel Jackson," he said, before pausing and stating slowly, "this will not help Major Carter." Daniel held his gaze for a moment, seeing his rage reflecting in his friend's eyes. Defeated, his head dropped and he expelled the frustrated breath he'd been holding; the anger leaving as quickly as it came.

Daniel shook his head, "I don't understand." His voice was low as he struggled to make sense of what happened, "When I looked back, Sam was hunkered down by that pillar and Jack was moving into the clearing to pull fire so I could get to the DHD and dial out. Why would she move from that cover? It doesn't make sense," he ended on a broken whisper.

For the first time since they came through the gate, Jack's hoarse voice could be heard behind Teal'c, "She did it for me." Teal'c moved out of the way and turned, all three of them now facing each other. Jack's eyes remained focused on the ground in front of him. Daniel took in Jack's appearance from top to bottom, just now noticing his pale complexion and that he was absolutely covered in Sam's blood. His tac vest, BDUs and hands were stained a dark red, and his face was streaked with it. Daniel looked at his face and saw the devastation. "Jack," he started as he sat in the chair next to him, angling his body Jack's way. Before he could continue, Jack raised his head, his expression blank and voice monotone, "That blast was meant for me." His glassy eyes met Daniel's, "She's gone, and it's all my fault."

A moment later, steps were heard and General Hammond approached the three at a fast pace. "Colonel, what the hell happened back there? What's the update on Major Carter?"

Jack's eyes turned back to the floor in front of him while Daniel took a breath and stood up to face him, "They're working on her now General." Daniel glanced back at Jack, stepped to the General and then steered him away from Jack and Teal'c. Once they were a good distance away, Daniel said in a hushed tone, "General, if you could just give us a moment. Sam was hit by a staff blast to her midsection and it doesn't look good." He glanced back at Jack and General Hammond followed his gaze. "Jesus." The General paused, cleared his shaky voice and straightened his shoulders. "Ok, we'll wait on an update on Major Carter first before debriefing. I'm going to try and get ahold of Jacob." He started to walk away before turning back to face Daniel, with Jack visible in the background. "Take care of him Doctor Jackson, you three are all he has."

Daniel nodded as General Hammond turned and walked away. When Daniel spun around, he saw that Teal'c had posted himself between the chairs and the hallway as a sentry; standing stoically in his typical parade rest fashion. Daniel walked back to his seat while Jack remained slumped in the chair, his blood-stained face staring ahead blankly. While they waited, Daniel managed to get Jack's gear off of him, and even cleaned his hands without so much as a glance. Jack was in his own mind now. It wasn't the first time Daniel had seen him this way, and it terrified him.

* * *

Hours had passed when Janet slowly pushed through the double doors of the OR. Already stripped of her surgical gown and gloves, she was removing her mask when she approached them. She looked exhausted and although Daniel and Teal'c had stepped forward to meet her, Jack only looked up, waiting for the inevitable, "I'm sorry, we did everything we could..."

Janet took a deep breath before speaking, "She's alive but far from stable. The staff blast hit just below her ribs on the right side, damaged her colon, nicked her liver and small intestine. We were able to stop the bleeding, had to remove her gall bladder and some of her intestine. It's a critical injury and she lost a lot of blood. I honestly don't know how she made it through surgery." She had been looking at Daniel and Teal'c, but now glanced at Jack who had stood up the moment her first sentence was finished.

Jack took a big gulp of air as if he'd been holding his breath. His watered eyes threatened to turn to tears as he looked down for a second before approaching Janet and hugging her. He cleared his throat, and released her, attempting to pull himself together, "Thanks Janet. When can we see her?"

Janet shook her head, "She's not out of the woods yet, it's going to be touch and go for the near future, so we're keeping her isolated in the back of the infirmary." When she saw the determined looks on their faces, she was reminded that they would only sneak in if she said no. She smirked sadly, "All of you will need a complete physical, but if you take turns, someone can go in now," raising her finger at all of them to emphasize she was serious, she finished, "Not all of you at once."

Daniel looked over at Jack, "You go ahead Jack, Teal'c can hang out here for his physical, and I'll go update the General, see if we can take turns at debriefing as well." Teal'c dipped his head in agreement. Jack nodded gratefully as the gurney with Sam on it was rolled out of the OR and into the neighboring infirmary. He followed and stood back until they had everything set up. A nurse turned to him before leaving, "I'll be right back Sir, I just need to conduct a physical. If you notice any of her vitals changing, please let me know." Jack nodded back and pulled one of the nearby chairs over, taking a seat on the left side of Sam's bed. He took in her pale appearance, the breathing tube, and low blood pressure. He had seen her bad off before, dead in fact, but for some reason this seemed more serious...more permanent. There were no computer entities taking hold of her consciousness, no sarcophagus or healing device nearby to expedite healing. He was sure General Hammond would put out a request for the Tok'ra and Thor, but it had seemed like ages since they had heard from either of them. He looked at her desperately; she had to make it out of this.

As Jack watched over Sam, all he could think about was how devastated and hopeless he felt when he saw her fall on that planet. How when he thought for sure she was gone, how much he wanted to go with her. There would be nothing left for him. How ironic, he thought, she saved his life not knowing that he wouldn't want to survive without her. The feeling of regret overtook him and he struggled again to regain his composure. How could he have not acted on these feelings between them for so long? Trusting that being close to her through work, being able to keep an eye on her and love her from distance, would be enough?

That was it, he decided. No more.

Jack reached out and took Sam's hand in both of his. Bowing his head, he resting his forehead against their clasped hands. If she made it through this, he decided, he was going to make things right. Tell her how he really feels and give them a real chance, no matter the cost. He held onto Sam's hand even after the nurse returned, even after Janet came into the room and left. A couple of hours later, Jack awoke to Daniel's hand on his shoulder. "Ahem," Daniel cleared his throat gently, "Jack..."

Jack's head came up and he realized he was still holding Sam's hand. He slowly released it and looked at Daniel who was staring at him over his glasses. "So ummm," Daniel started while pushing his glasses back up onto his nose, "I spoke to General Hammond and handled my debriefing. Teal'c is up there now doing his." When Jack didn't say anything, Daniel continued, "Jack you need to get cleaned up and I've held off your physical as long as I can." Jack waited a moment and nodded, slowly getting up and straightening his stiffened back and knees.

"Thanks Daniel." Jack said quietly before turning back to Sam, leaning over and whispering in her ear, "Don't you dare leave me Carter, that's an order." Daniel's eyes widened a bit but he kept his mouth shut while Jack walked past him.

Jack got seen and cleared by the on-duty nurse and then sent on his way to get cleaned up. Once in the shower, flashes of the day's events ran through his mind as he washed her blood off of his face, and places where it had seeped through his clothing. When it settled on the moment when Sam's lifeless body was in his arms, his stomach dropped and that same feeling of hopelessness rushed back. He leaned against the shower tile while tears silently streamed down his face. It was a struggle to get himself squared away, and finally, after changing into a clean set of blue BDUs, Jack made his way to see the General.

A short time later, General Hammond heard a knock on his door, "Come," he responded. Jack entered and the General waved him to one of the chairs in front of his desk, "Have a seat Colonel." Jack sat down and looked up at the General. This moment had played out before in his mind. He just couldn't remember which way had sounded the best, now that it was time to push his chips in. Before he could decide, General Hammond broke the silence, "I heard Major Carter is fighting. I know she's still in danger, but that's pretty good news in our line of work."

"Yes sir," Jack responded emptily, his head tilting towards the floor in contemplation.

General Hammond waited a moment when Jack didn't continue. He could tell Jack was internally struggling with how to say something. He watched curiously for a moment. In all of his years knowing this man, one thing he had never seen was Colonel Jack O'Neil being at a loss for words; even at times like this. Like a flash bulb going off, it all came together. _Ahhh, Of course_ , he thought. It's not like he hadn't seen this coming one day. He smirked a bit and then decided to help out his old friend. "Jack?"

When Jack looked up in surprise, realizing the General had used his first name, General Hammond continued. "As your friend, I'd like to talk to you for a second, off the record." He looked down at his folded hands on his desk and back up before saying, "Listen, I know you've been through a lot today, and I also know how close you and Major Carter have become." When Jack opened his mouth, General Hammond held up his hand to stop him, "and before you say anything, I have no doubt you two have remained professional throughout." At that point, Jack closed his mouth looking confused, now not sure where this was going. The General continued, "Would it be an accurate assumption that something has changed concerning the two of you, and that you would like to pursue...well...other avenues?"

Jack's eyes had widened and with his mouth slightly agape, he nodded slowly. "Yes Sir, ah…George." When the General just stared at him as if encouraging him to continue, Jack took a breath and stood up. He walked around the room, pausing at a bookcase next to the door, and picking up a small silver model airplane sitting on one of the shelves. He turned towards the General but kept his eyes on the airplane as he started fiddling with it absentmindedly, "George, I just can't do this anymore. I haven't stopped caring for her since we decided to leave everything in that stupid room years ago." On a roll, he stood there turning the plane over in his hands while everything he ever wanted to say rolled off of his tongue. "She's the best damn soldier I've ever had under my command and the smartest person I know. She has certainly saved my ass more times than I can count," he muttered. "Sam deserves a chance to lead her own team George...hell, she's made for it. And I'm not going to stand in the way and ruin her opportunity to have that chance. Listen, I don't know if things will work out between us, or if she even cares about me the way I care about her, but I have to find out." He took a breath, "and if that means retiring so that regulations are no longer an issue, then so be it; it's probably my time anyway. Either way, I have to try."

When Jack looked up, Hammond was smiling, which threw him off. "Well, good for you Jack! How does it feel to get that off your chest?" Jack smirked and exhaled a deep breath, "Pretty good." Hammond nodded, "Now about this retirement thing...how about you staying on as a civilian contractor? I honestly don't think they'll allow you to retire altogether, but between the two of us, I think we've gathered enough markers over the years to be owed a favor or two...don't you?" Jack shook his head in agreement, and swallowed as he replied humbly, "I don't know how to thank you George." The General smiled back gently, "Well, let's just work on being there for Sam right now. I'm approving some extended leave for SG-1 until further notice."

Hammond paused a moment, then stood up and straightened his jacket. He cleared his throat and the lower command voice was back, "Now Colonel, back to official business. Let's get this debriefing over with so you can get back to the infirmary." The General walked around the desk toward the door as Jack schooled his features, and nodded curtly, "Yes sir General." As Hammond passed him, Jack realized he still had the plane in his hands, and winced sheepishly before quickly depositing it back on the shelf. He used both of his hands to try to angle it the way he had found it, before giving up and walking quickly after the General into the briefing room.

* * *

A couple of days later, Janet advised that Sam had slipped into a coma, most likely from the lack of oxygen to the brain while being resuscitated, she determined. After tests were conducted, Jack and the others were relieved when Janet stated the Sam's brain activity was promising. She encouraged the others to talk with Sam frequently. "There are many studies that say reading and conversing with coma patients is extremely beneficial."

During his time with her, Jack spoke to Sam about stuff happening at work and talked about the cabin. How he was looking forward to her seeing it in person one day, hoping she would like it. He even resorted to reading MAD magazines to her, and tried to work some crossword puzzles; hoping her eagerness to give him one of the answers would pull her out of it. Lastly, and probably his most favorite thing to do with her, was to play music through some headphones he shared with her... mostly his personal stash of classic rock and opera.

* * *

It was a week later when Jack got word that his retirement had gone through, with the provision that he stayed onboard as a civilian contractor of course. Jack was elated that the General was able to fast track the paperwork and couldn't help but think his CO and friend had seen this coming somehow. Hammond had mentioned to him that he had plans to retire soon, and that Jack would be the premier choice for his replacement; ultimately leaving SG-1 in Sam's capable hands. The thought of her leading the team made him proud. Sure it would be tough to not be there to back her up, but being a Stargate trip away didn't seem too shabby either. Jack refused to have a big ceremony and the General obliged, making it an intimate affair in the embarkation room with his closest acquaintances and friends from within the mountain. President Hayes made a surprise appearance and awarded Jack the esteemed Air Force Cross, before General Hammond and Daniel said some kind words. Best of all, cake was served.

After the ceremony, Jack changed as quickly as he could to get back to Sam's side. He now sat next to her as a civilian for the first time, feeling an enormous weight off of his shoulders knowing that now there was no way any charges could be brought up on either of them, no matter what. Most of all he was glad that Sam's career path would remain intact and primed for her to make General one day. Jack told Sam about the ceremony and the cake, and then he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it gently. When Teal'c came in to relieve him hours later, he was still holding her hand. He stood up and nodded to Teal'c before bending over and whispering in her ear, "I'm not going anywhere Sam."

* * *

Another week later, Janet was just finishing one of Sam's examinations when Jack came back from grabbing a quick bite to eat. Between Jack, Daniel and Teal'c, they'd been able to keep watch on Sam nearly every second, and used the times when she was being examined or bathed to run small errands. When he entered the infirmary and saw Janet leaning over Sam, he made a smacking noise and gave his best Bugs Bunny impression, "Ehhh, What's up doc?" Janet smirked, glancing sideways at him while putting her stethoscope back in her jacket pocket. She took a beat and said, "Well, as it is, she still has a long way to go and now she'll have to added issue of atrophy the longer she remains in a coma." Jack nodded as Janet summarized Sam's condition. He had been through enough lifesaving surgeries to know how hard it would be for Sam to get through the healing and intense physical therapy that lie ahead. At least he knew he would be able to be there for her.

He took his position in the chair as Janet headed out, "I'm going to update the General."

* * *

It'd been three weeks since the incident now and Daniel was sitting next to Sam, rubbing his eyes when she woke up. He had just got done telling her about some of his findings from the artifacts they'd recovered, before they were overtaken by Jaffa, on their last mission. He also told her his mixed feelings about Jack's retirement. The fact that he probably should have waited to see what she would say first before taking such a big leap. But also, that he thought the two of them belonged together, confiding that he'd felt that way for a long time. It was on the last part of the sentence that Sam's eyes opened. Daniel was putting his glasses back on when he heard a noise. He looked up to see Sam's eyes fluttering open.

Daniel stood up and leaned over her, "Sam?!" She immediately began choking on the intubation tube. Daniel started calling out for help just as Janet was walking into the infirmary. She rushed over to Sam's side, "Sam, if you can hear me, try to cough...I'm going to take the breathing tube out." Whether by instruction or necessity, Sam began coughing, struggling to breath while Janet pulled the long tube out. Once it was out, Sam was taking deep ragged breaths while her eyes fluttered and then closed. Daniel panicked, grasping her hand, "No Sam, keep your eyes open!" Janet put a hand out towards him while taking her vitals. "Daniel, it's okay. She's breathing on her own, her pulse is strong, and her stats are normalizing. We just need to give her some time to come out of this slowly."

Seconds later, Jack rounded the curtain just as Daniel was telling Janet he was going to go get him. When Jack spotted the tube had been taken out and saw Janet checking Sam's pulse, his stomach dropped, thinking the worst. "Janet, what's going on, what happened?" Daniel cut in quickly, "Jack, I was just coming to get you," he said excitedly, "Sam woke up...she's breathing on her own!" He slapped Jack on the back while Jack stood there, looking stunned and confused, "I don't get it, why aren't her eyes open?" Janet looked relieved, "Unfortunately, it's not like the movies Colonel. Coming out of a coma is usually a very gradual process. Normally it's difficult for someone to stay awake very long once they've emerged." Janet looked back at Sam and put her hand on her forearm, taking a second to allow herself a release from the weeks of built up stress and worry for her dear friend. "Thank God," she whispered. Her mouth quivered slightly and she closed her eyes. Daniel moved around the bed toward her and she felt his arm slide around her shoulders, "It's ok Janet," he said softly. She kept her eyes shut and turned into his tight embrace; her soft crying muffled by his chest.

Jack stepped out of the infirmary quietly, and entered the dark and empty operating room next door. He put his back against the nearest wall, and slid down, allowing himself to feel everything he had been bottling up. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed quietly with relief. He had wanted to believe that she'd be okay, but that inner pessimism had been nagging at him constantly. That part of him that kept reminding him that he didn't deserve to be happy again after his son, had been eating away at him every day. But she had made it back to them...to him. He stood up and used the sleeve of his long sleeve shirt to wipe off his face. Now it's time to be that rock for Sam, he thought. He looked up at the ceiling of the room, _she has to make a full recovery, she just has to_. As he cleared his throat and shook his arms out, attempting to compose himself, the negative thoughts flooded his mind. _What if she doesn't want me? What if all the stuff we left 'in the room,' is old news to her now? What if she's moved on, and this future together I have been thinking about has been all one way?_ He shook his head as if trying to physically push away the negative thoughts invading his mind. All that was important now was her health and recovery. He took some deep breaths and focused in on the future, _I'm going to be there for her no matter what the circumstances are or how she feels about me._ He turned toward the door, pausing before pushing through and muttered to himself, "Come on Jack, pull yourself together."

When Jack returned to Sam's bedside, Daniel was standing next to Janet talking about Sam's upcoming rehabilitation. "Oh, Hey Jack," Daniel started, "we were just talking about Sam's therapy. Janet was just saying that when she gets some cognitive tests completed on Sam, we'll have a better idea about her recovery timeline."

Janet chimed in, "My hope is that the only therapy she will need will be physical, but we really won't know until she's able to stay awake for more than a hour at a time." Jack nodded slowly, and smirked, trying to stay positive, "Well doc, she's a genius so I'm sure she'll ace any test you put in front of her." He made his best attempt to sound confident, but he knew that due to the lack of oxygen for such an extended time, Sam had the odds stacked up against her.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Jack sat alone bedside, watching Sam intently. Daniel walked in with a mug of coffee. "Any movement?" he asked while taking a sip. Jack was leaned back in the chair, "No," he replied, his disappointment obvious.

There was some silence before Daniel cleared his throat a bit, in a way that made Jack look at him. He'd heard him clear his throat like that probably a hundred times over the years. Translation? He has something to say but doesn't know how. "Spit it out Daniel," Jack said with a sigh.

Daniel pulled another chair from the wall over and sat down. He looked down at his mug and then back at Jack reluctantly. Jack drew out his name with his typical look of irritation, "Daniel?"

Daniel took a breath, glanced in Sam's direction and then back before huffing out, "Listen Jack, I just think that all of _this_ might be too much for Sam to handle when she wakes up completely."

Jack sat up a bit, his eyebrows beginning to furrow as he crossed his arms over his chest, "All of this?"

Daniel's head bent down a bit and he peered back at Jack over his glasses, his left hand gesturing toward Jack, "Yeah, I mean you and your recent changes, your job, your clothes, you calling her Sam, your open affection in front of anyone and everyone."

Jack's eyes narrowed, obviously annoyed, "Yeah, so?"

Daniel sighed and pushed up his glasses, "I'm just saying when Sam got shot, you...changed," when he saw Jack's jaw clench, he added quickly, "even for the better maybe."

"Changed...maybe?" Jack's elbows hit his knees as he leaned forward with his hands clasped tightly, his annoyance turning to anger.

"Ok, so maybe you haven't changed so much," Daniel muttered sarcastically under his breath before he continued. "Jack, all I'm saying, for Sam's sake, is that _this_ may be all too much...too soon. We don't even know what we're looking at yet. She may have brain damage or memory loss, and we don't want to add confusion to the mix right out of the gate."

Jack scoffed angrily, leaning back and crossing his arms again. "I can't undo my retirement Daniel. Do you want me to lie? Because I can't…I won't do that to her."

Daniel paused and took a sip of coffee, "No, of course not. Not lie exactly…just…hold off a bit on your feelings for her and your retirement." He glanced up nervously, "We thought it might be best if you wore your uniform again, and you know, called her Carter, just until she gets her footing."

Jack stood up quickly, shoved his hands in his pockets, and paced, "We huh?"

Daniel cringed and looked down, "Yeah, I kinda drew the short straw."

Jack's eyes scrunched together, "You know Daniel, you might want to move to flipping coins, because you suck at that straw thing."

Daniel glanced down sheepishly at his coffee, thinking it best not to answer.

Jack stopped pacing and looked at Sam's peaceful face. Frustrated, he sighed and combed a hand roughly through his hair, thinking the last thing he wanted to do was get in the way of her recovery. Shit, maybe they were right. "Fine," he huffed, "I'm going to go change." He glared at Daniel as he turned to leave, and pointed at him, "But if this backfires Daniel, I'm blaming you."

* * *

It had been an hour after Jack returned from changing back into his old uniform, when Sam opened her eyes again. Jack had gotten fed up with the crossword and had moved on to the funny papers. He was chuckling and telling her about the Calvin and Hobbs illustration, when he heard a moan. Glancing up quickly, he saw Sam staring back at him. "Carter?" He tossed the paper to the side table and put his hand on her forearm, before remembering the talk with Daniel and pulling it back slowly.

She looked groggy and moaned, "Colonel?" The word came out slow and a bit slurred.

When Jack could see the confusion on her face at her inability to speak clearly, he tried to put her at ease, "Hey Carter, just relax...you had a close call and have been unconscious for weeks. It's going to take you some time to get used to talking and moving again." Sam moved her hands a bit but realized quickly that she couldn't lift her arms or legs off the bed. Jack got up, "I'm going to grab Janet."

Janet immediately returned with Jack, and pulled up a chair on the other side of Sam. "Hey sweetie, welcome back." She held her hand and began talking. Janet only grazed over the details of the shooting and kept the results of her surgery in simple terms. Her goal was to satisfy Sam's curiosity and quell her concerns until she could get a CT scan and MRI conducted. If Sam did have some permanent damage, larger words would only confuse her and make her more anxious. However, based on her facial expressions, Janet noticed right away that Sam seemed to be following what she was saying.

"So, we're going to take you for those tests right now, ok Sam?"

Sam gave a tiny nod and looked back at Jack. "I'll be right here when you get back Carter," he said reassuringly. Sam gave a small smile before Janet wheeled her bed out of the room.

By the time Janet returned with Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were waiting with Jack in the infirmary. Sam immediately perked up when she saw them and Daniel leaned over to give Sam a long hug. Teal'c smiled and bowed stoically. Sam opened her mouth, "Hey...guys," she got out with some difficulty.

Daniel could tell she was getting upset that something so simple as talking was giving her such a hard time. "Hey Sam, you just need a little therapy to get you used to talking again." When she looked down and didn't respond, her eyes filling with tears, Daniel took her hand in his, "Just let me do the talking for now and you'll be caught up in no time," he finished with an encouraging smile.

"Great," Jack teased with an exaggerated eye roll, "just what we need, even more talking from Chatty Cathy over here." Sam busted out one of her unmistakable snorts that lightened the room immediately, making everyone smile .

Yep, things were beginning to look up.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack and the boys were standing in the briefing room with the General, anxious to hear the results of the testing, when Janet walked in. "Well it's amazing. No permanent brain damage detected in any of her tests. Besides the obvious therapy that lies ahead, there's no reason to think that she won't be able to make a complete recovery." She sighed, "But, it's going to take a lot of strength, both physically and mentally to get there."

General Hammond spoke up first with a big smile, "Well that's great news doctor."

Teal'c followed with a smile and a nod, "We will assist in Major Carter's recovery."

Daniel hugged Janet and then looked at Jack happily, "We're lucky to have you Janet. Doesn't get much better than that." Janet gave a shy smile as they glanced at Jack.

Jack simply stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back onto his heels, with a big goofy grin on his face. "Told ya, she's a genius."

For the next few weeks, the guys had to give Sam some space to go through her therapy. Her speaking ability improved quickly and the speech therapist was thrilled with her short recovery time. The physical therapy however, was painfully slow.

Meanwhile around base, the order had gotten out to keep quiet on Jack's retirement. He had been keeping his distance from Sam as much as possible, trying not to make his absence too obvious. Honestly, without the regs in his way, Jack didn't entirely trust himself to keep things under wraps. Every time he was around her, he felt himself blatantly gazing at her and was pretty sure he had smiled and laughed more in the last couple of weeks, then he had in years. He found himself using the excuses of paperwork and mission briefings as a reason to keep his visits short. Yep, he had it bad.

* * *

Three weeks into her recovery, Jack decided to visit Sam; timing it right after one of her physical therapy sessions. Stepping into the infirmary with some blue Jell-O, he was light in his step with a smile on his face, when he heard a loud clang. He stomach dropped as he jogged to the back of the room, "Carter?" he called out in concern as he rounded the curtain.

James, the physical therapist, was standing against the far wall, his eyes wide and hands up. "I'm sorry Major," he said to Sam nervously.

Jack look from James to Sam, who had rolled to her right side facing away from Jack, her face hidden in the crook of her arm. Jack then noticed the plastic food tray on the floor, with food remnants littering the ground. He slammed the Jell-O down on the table at the entryway, "What the hell did you do?" Jack's anger focused in on James as he walked directly in front of him, grabbed two handfuls of his shirt at chest level and pushed him hard against the wall behind him.

"No!" Carter cried out. Jack stopped dead in his tracks, and looked back at Sam. "It's not his fault sir," she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes and face. Jack looked back at James, only now realizing the man was a bit shaken. He looked back at Sam, then back at James again and released his hold, "Therapy is over, you're done for today, leave," he barked angrily. Jack stepped back and James looked grateful as he scooted quickly out of the room. Jack turned toward Sam and bent down until they were eye level. "Hey, what was that all about?" he asked softly.

When Sam looked away and didn't answer him, he began slowly picking up the tray and food off the floor. Once he finished, he sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on her shoulder, "Carter, come on, talk to me."

Sam rolled onto her back, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "He wanted to see if I could feed myself," she started out slowly. "And after a few bites, he saw me having difficulty, so he told me I could stop and he would finish." She looked at her hands in front of her, her facial expression switching from annoyance to anger, "I told him I had it, so he let me continue, but the next piece of meatloaf hit the floor, and...well, it pissed me off."

She looked up to Jack who finished the sentence for her, "so you shoved the tray off the table out of frustration, and that's where I came in?"

She nodded curtly, "Sir, this is ridiculous, what the hell's wrong with me?" she yelled, "Why is this taking so goddamn long!?" She lifted her head up slightly and then pushed it back down into the pillow; her teeth gnashing in frustration while she looked up at the ceiling.

Jack sighed, "Carter, you'll get through this." Sam scoffed in response. They sat in silence while Jack tried to think of a way to change the mood. Any encouragement from him right now would just be construed as patronizing, and that's the last thing he wanted. What he really wanted was to hug her with everything he had; to tell her that he would be there everyday to help her through it. He wanted to tell her that he loved her.

Jack sighed away the urge to confess everything, and took a second to think. Then it dawned on him. "Hey, you know what you need?" He asked with a smile.

Sam's eye shifted to him boringly.

Jack stood and walked around the room, "Some time away from this place. How about I kidnap you for a day trip?"

Sam's anger faded, and her eyes perked up in response. "Do you think Janet would let me sir?"

Jack smiled, walked to the table near the entrance and picked up the Jell-O he brought. He popped off the lid, and handed it to her. Then he pulled a spoon out of his front BDU jacket pocket and held it out to her, bowing slightly and presenting it to her like a rose. "You let me worry about that Carter, and I'll be right back," he finished with a wink before leaving the room.

Sam smiled and blushed, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach from his playful wink. She looked down at the Jell-O container and thought about how nice he had been to her lately. Not that he wasn't nice to her most of the time, but it was usually in the form of sarcasm and funny anecdotes. Recently it just seemed different somehow, like he was being almost…charming actually. Silently scolding herself for jumping to conclusions, she shook her head slightly. Maybe it's just what she wanted to see. Brushing the thought aside, she concentrated on scooping a spoonful of the Jell-O into her mouth, giddy with excitement about the idea of getting a break from the gloomy grey walls of the infirmary.

Jack found Janet in the last place he looked, Daniel's office. When he stepped inside, he found Janet and Daniel laughing as Daniel was pointing something out from a small rectangular artifact that was sitting between them. When Jack cleared his throat, they sobered up and looked at him, "Hey Jack," Daniel began, "How's Sam doing? We were just going to head down there."

Jack smirked, "About that, I was actually looking for Janet to ask her something."

"Oh?" Janet responded.

Jack reached up with his hand and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Yeah, so I walked in on Carter as her therapy was ending. And let's just say, she was pretty frustrated and pissed off."

Janet sighed, "Well that's not good."

Jack straightened, "I know." He paused, "I just think she needs a break you know? I mean she's been at this thing for three weeks now, with no breaks, and she's at her wit's end."

"A break?" Janet tilted her head. "Colonel, she's going to get frustrated, that's expected. She needs to keep at it. The only way this works is with repetition and muscle memory."

Jack lifted a hand lazily, "I know, I know, but I'm not talking about a weekend here, or even a full day. How about a few hours in the morning, which would still give her time for therapy in the afternoon," his eyebrows raised as he bargained hopefully.

Daniel shrugged and chimed in, "A few hours doesn't sound too bad." Janet looked from one teammate to the other, her eyes narrowing.

"Ganging up on me will not change my mind," she said plainly. Janet took a breath and then sighed reluctantly, "But I guess a little time in some fresh air wouldn't hurt."

"Yes," Jack hissed loudly and pumped his fist. He smiled brightly before turning towards the door, "Don't worry doc, I'll have her home before dark." Janet's mouth opened in apparent protest before Jack turned, waved his hand and yelled, "kidding!" while scooting backwards out of the room.

Janet shook her head incredulously, and looked back at Daniel who was smiling back at her. "That was really nice of you Janet. I think you really made his day."

She smirked and poked him in the chest with her finger, "Yeah, well no more ganging up on me smart guy."

Daniel smiled shyly in return, "Yeah, sorry about that."

* * *

The next day, Jack steered a wheelchair into the infirmary. When he rounded the corner of Sam's curtain, he saw Janet helping Sam with her tennis shoes. Sam was dressed in a white long sleeve t-shirt and jeans. When Sam looked up and saw Jack with the wheelchair, she threw one of her thousand watt smiles his way. He felt the accompanied warmth that always seemed to hit him in the gut when she did that, and returned it readily. "Carter, your chariot awaits." Jack thought she looked like a million bucks.

Janet looked at him, her expression wary. "Not too long now Colonel." She put her hands on her hips for emphasis, "And don't go off base, I want her to be close should anything go wrong."

Jack snapped a comical Benny Hill salute back, "Copy that Warden, I have it from here."

Sam stifled a laugh while Janet rolled her eyes and left the room. Jack stepped over and bent down to her level, "Ready Carter?" The close proximity of his face to hers, and his low voice made her stomach clench with excitement. Sam shook her head, "yes sir," and became instantly nervous when she realized he was going to pick her up. He put one arm under her legs and the other around her back, lifting her easily off of the bed. Then gave her a small smile as he carried her to the wheelchair, and set her down, locking out the foot extensions for her feet.

Jack realized he had been holding his breath when he set her down. She felt damn good in his arms and he hadn't expected the intimate feeling that followed.

Sam's stomach fluttered again, and she silently berated herself. Get ahold of yourself, he's your CO.

"Everything okay?" Jack asked, noticing the slight grimace.

Sam snapped out of it and smiled, "Fine sir, I'm all set.

It took a while for them to get to the parking lot up top. Absolutely everybody they passed by was saying hello to Sam or giving her hugs. Jack was relieved to see the elevator open, but irked when he saw MSgt Siler holding the door with a big smile. Siler and Sam had been through enough crazy stuff together to look past rank on occasion, and this time was no different. After they were inside, Siler bent down to say Hi and gave Sam a hug. Jack grimaced, doing his just best to not make his unhappiness so obvious while they talked about some doohickeys they had been sharing information about recently.

The elevator door finally opened and Jack interrupted Siler in mid-sentence, "Alright Siler, she's not going to the moon, you can finish this stuff later." Siler straightened up, cleared his throat and threw out a "yes sir," before walking a brisk pace in front of them. Jack rolled his eyes and huffed, Sam noticed and smiled, "He was just saying hello sir."

"Yeah, well his 'hello' is longer than a book on CD," he replied sarcastically.

Sam giggled and looked up at him, one eyebrow perked higher than the other in a way that would have made Teal'c proud, "A book on CD sir?"

Jack peered back down, meeting her gaze as he wheeled her towards the lot, "Yes Carter, believe it or not, there's more to me than missions, hockey, beer and fishing." Then he shrugged absentmindedly, before adding, "although those _are_ basically my four main food groups." He flashed her a big grin and Sam felt her face flush as she looked forward. It wasn't just what he was doing, it was how he was doing it. His soft voice, and the smile that accompanied it. Sam's mind reeled. What was going on? Was she reading too much into this? There had always been some friendly flirting between the two of them, but this felt different, like they were...dating. She was still pondering when her wheelchair stopped and she realized they had arrived at his big green pick-up truck. Jack locked the wheelchair in place and began opening the front passenger door. Sam remembered what Janet had said and smirked, "I thought Janet said to stay on the base sir." Jack glanced back at her for a second while brushing off the seat with his hand, "The base is a very big place Carter."

He walked back to her and bent down, realizing that he was starting to look forward to carrying her. Sam bit her bottom lip slightly...she was thinking the same thing. Jack lifted her up again with surprising ease. Her thoughts went to Jack's strong arms, and his tight chest when he pressed her against him. Sam couldn't help herself and slung her right arm over his neck, her hand resting on his collarbone. She could have sworn she heard a sharp intake of breath as Jack pulled his eyes away from hers and tried to focus on the seat.

He felt her watching him, trying to ignore how close her mouth was to his, or how good she smelled. How her breast pressed against his chest when she put her arm around his neck. When he felt her warm breath on his neck, he felt his hair stand up and an ache in his groin that was slowly coming to life. Her face was flush and Jack wondered if this was affecting her as much as it was him.

When Jack set her down on the seat, Sam's eyes followed the prominent vein in his neck down to his chest. God he looked good. When he bent across her to buckle her seatbelt, his masculine smell hit her, a combination of aftershave and his naturally sweet musky scent made her stomach flip. She fantasized about leaning forward and following that vein with her tongue, licking it up to his earlobe. Just as she envisioned taking his lobe into her mouth, the car door shut and Sam snapped out of it. "Holy Hannah," she muttered, "get a grip." Her legs shifted together as she attempted to stifle the heat forming between her thighs.

Jack put the wheelchair in the flatbed, and then took a second to adjust himself and clear his head. When he heard her breath hitch and saw her lips part slightly as he leaned over her, he almost kissed her; _Jesus_. He took a breath, realizing if he was going to make it through this outing, he was going to have to concentrate on keeping contact at a minimum. _You have to let her heal first, that's the deal you made with Daniel_ , he lectured himself as he opened his door and hopped in. As they headed out of the lot, Jack rolled down his window as he drove; it really was a beautiful day. Sam became curious, she had never really explored the base, sticking to the BX and the fast food restaurants next to it when she didn't feel like stopping at the grocery on the way home. She rolled down her window as well, feeling the wind and sun on her face as she smiled and closed her eyes; greedily drinking in the fresh air. Jack glanced over at her, watching her hair, which had grown out a bit, get tousled by the wind. He smiled as he realized just how much she was enjoying being out of that stifling mountain, away from the constant humming of machinery and bright fluorescents. A short time later, he found the small dirt path he was looking for and drove onto it, taking them away from the bustling base. After a brief drive through some trees, he stopped the truck and got out, "Here we are."

Sam looked around at the surrounding trees. "Wow, this is amazing sir," she said as he opened the door.

"Hang tight while I get the chair," he stated as he walked back to the tailgate and opened it.

When he had the chair ready, Jack came over, and the next thing Sam knew, she was up in his arms one minute and sitting in the seat the next. _That felt much faster than the last time._ She wondered if she had made him uncomfortable by putting her arm around him last time as he wheeled her forward down a small dirt path. Moments later, the trees opened up to a small clearing and they found themselves less than fifty feet away from a ledge of Cheyenne mountain. Jack could hear her gasp in surprise, "I can't believe we're still on base."

Jack smiled, "I'll be right back." He turned and walked back towards the truck while Sam took in the view. She could see Colorado Springs in the distance, and looked at an eagle that soared easily in the breeze. Sometimes she forgot how high up the base was on the mountain, but being almost eye level with the eagle in the distance, gave her some perspective.

"Here we go," Jack said from right behind her, jolting her out of thought. After all the time they had spent together, she still couldn't believe how stealthy he could be. "Sorry Carter," he chuckled, "didn't mean to sneak up on you."

She smiled back, "It's ok sir, I was just taking in this amazing view."

"Ah yes," he responded, "not as nice as the cabin, but I thought you'd appreciate the change in scenery."

Jack set up his camping chair next to her and set a cooler in front of him as he sat down. Opening it up, he pulled out two bottles, closed the lid, and leaned back. Using the cooler like a footstool, his picked up his legs and stretched them out over it, crossing his feet at the ankles before twisting off the two lids with ease. Sam's eyes popped, and he chuckled as he realized what she was thinking, "Root beer Carter, it's root beer...relax."

Sam giggled and concentrated on her grip while she took the bottle with both hands. Jack made sure she had a good grip on it before letting go and watched as the edge of the bottle touched her lips. Her eyes closed and she tilted the bottle, taking a healthy swig of the sweet drink. _Damn_ _she's beautiful_ , Jack thought, forcing himself to look away from her mouth and take his own swig.

They sat in comfortable silence, savoring the moment. "This is really great sir," she said softly, "thank you." Jack fought an overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms, and looked down at his bottle instead, "No need to thank me Carter," he said quietly, "I owe you my life you know." Sam's eyes widened at the sincere admission.

And suddenly, that day flashed through her mind. Sam remembered seeing the Jaffa running behind a tree and beyond her line of sight. Jack had been shooting another Jaffa in the opposite direction, and she remembered how panicked she felt, her warning swallowed by the sound of weapon fire as she ran down the small hill. By the time she got to him, she saw the Jaffa fire and knew it was too late. She didn't hesitate to step in front of him. Sam knew when it came down to it, the four of them would and had sacrificed themselves in many ways to save one another in the past. She also knew that the real reason behind this time in particular was love, and did her best to downplay it. "You would have done the same for me sir," she said. "You and the guys have saved me more times than I can count." Sam swallowed, and looked down, wishing she could tell him how she really felt. That she couldn't imagine a life without him in it, even if it was just as her CO and friend.

Jack grunted, knowing she was right when it came to their team. They had each played the hero at one time or another during their many missions together. But the selflessness displayed in the simple action of stepping in front of him that day, mesmerized him, and he added it to the hefty list of the many reasons why he loved her. He wondered how much longer he'd be able to put up with this façade as he took another swig. "Well I still owe you one," he smirked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Sam smiled back, "I'm surprised Daniel and Teal'c didn't make the trip today."

Jack looked at his watch, "Actually, they should be here any minute. Daniel had to finish up a couple of things and I gave Teal'c a makeshift map to follow."

Jack had battled back and forth with himself on whether to invite the two along. It wasn't until Daniel asked him what the plan was, that Jack gave into the fact that he would just have to wait if he wanted a true moment alone with Sam.

As if on cue, they both heard Daniel crunching noisily through the wood-line. Teal'c followed with the camping chairs.

"Hey guys!" Daniel yelled out happily on the approach.

"Hey Daniel, Teal'c," Sam answered beaming from ear to ear. Sam was glad to see the guys, but there was that little part of her that had been hoping it would just be the two of them. She really was enjoying this softer, gentler side of her Colonel.

Teal'c nodded in greeting, "It is good to see you Major Carter, O'Neill," before taking a seat next to Daniel who had unabashedly plopped his chair practically on top of Carter's. Daniel leaned over to give Sam a hug before having a seat. He looked out at the cliff's ledge ahead, "Wow Jack, this is really something."

Jack put his feet down, bent over to retrieve two more root beers out of the cooler, and handed them out to the guys before resuming his relaxed position. "Pretty nice having the band back together," Jack smiled and met Sam's eyes, before leaning over and offering his bottle up for a toast. The three followed in suit, clinking the bottles together ceremoniously. "Here, here," Daniel stated enthusiastically, "we missed you Sam."

"It is good to have you back Major Carter," Teal'c offered up. Sam met all of their eyes, and cleared her throat when she felt herself getting choked up. "Good to be back. Thanks guys, this means a lot."

The four of them carried on, each taking turns talking about this and that. As usual, Daniel did most of the talking, rambling first about successfully translating a recent artifact, to how they had made sure to keep Sam's house up and running during her absence. Then he mentioned that he had ran into Pete the other day when he had gone by her place to bring in the mail and water her plants.

Sam straightened in her chair at the mention of his name. A look of alarm and concern crossed her face and Daniel's voice faded as she stared out to the edge of the cliff.

* * *

She had broken things off with Pete almost a year ago now. He had been getting pretty impatient with her after proposing and not getting an immediate response. One night, after having a few too many at her place, he came on strong and then it escalated. He had started by pushing her back against the kitchen countertop as she was cleaning up after dinner. With a creepy sneer plastered on his face, Sam imagined he was trying to be sexy, "Come on Sam, you know you want to," he growled. Ugh. Sam resisted an eye roll as she thought of a way to dodge his advance without being mean. Then his hands landed heavily on her chest. She certainly wasn't a stranger to rough sex, but what he did wasn't rough, it was uncaring and brutal the way he grabbed her breast through her shirt, twisting and pulling while he attacked her neck with his mouth. When he started fumbling with the button of her jeans with the other hand, Sam put her hands against his chest and pushed. Her breast was throbbing from his painful grip and she felt scratches forming at the top of her jeans from his frantic clawing. "Pete stop!" she yelled. She hadn't used all of her strength when she pushed, only to get his attention and make him stop.

But he barely moved, letting his weight and broad chest absorb the little force she put into it. Sam was about to yell at him again when he shifted his hand from her jeans and grabbed the hair at the back of her head painfully, slamming his mouth against hers. His kisses were rough and bruising while the scruff from his upper lip felt like sand paper against her sensitive skin. He quickly forced his alcohol infused tongue into her mouth, which was the last straw for Sam. Her disgust and concern turned to anger and she took action. She reached around, grabbing the thumb on the hand at the back of her head and twisted, making him let go of her hair, while delivering a quick palm heel strike to his solar plexus, causing him to let go of her breast. Gasping for air, he stumbled back away from her. Looking pissed and confused, he rubbed his chest with his hand, "What the hell Sam!"

Sam's lip quivered as her anger peaked, and she pointed to her front door, "Get out Pete, now!"

He just stared at her, as if deciding whether to argue his case or follow instructions.

Sam knew the alcohol was a big part of his behavior, but this was more than just a slip up. Sam wasn't a stranger to abusive relationships and now, the red flags were not just waving, they were burning. A wave of dread washed over her as she realized that this could be the real him. It could be the side of him that he had been able to keep secret all of this time, while deceiving her with his overly nice and caring persona. Well, she sure as shit wasn't about to find out. Sam shoved past him to her bedroom, and returned with the box holding the engagement ring. She pushed it into his chest, "We're done Pete, get out."

Pete looked at the box, taking it into his hand, "Aww, come on Sam!" His face looked panicked and desperate, "Look, I'm sorry okay, I was just playing around."

Sam started walking to the door, and Pete grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back against his chest in a rough embrace. "Come on Sam, let me make it up to you okay?"

Sam lifted her shoulders up and turned quickly, using a well practiced defense maneuver to break the hold. "No Pete, I'm done, leave." She opened the door for him and held it open as he slowly walked out. As soon as he was across the threshold, she closed the door and locked it. Grateful she did, because Pete didn't even make it to his car before he came back and started banging on the door. He continued for a good twenty minutes, first pleading for her to reconsider. Then that pleading turned to a loud rant, and he spent the five minutes after that cussing angrily, threatening to kick her door in. Just when she started to think about calling the police, she heard his car door slam and screeching tires as he peeled away from her house.

Knowing how protective the guys could be, she refrained from telling them. Instead she simply told Daniel that things didn't work out. He tried to get her to talk about it but she clammed up.

Concerned, Daniel had mentioned the odd behavior to Jack at the time, but he just dismissed her reaction as wanting a little privacy. He didn't understand the reasoning behind having to hash out every little detail of every little thing. And with Daniel asking the questions, he knew from experience how annoying he could be. Plus, whatever the reason was, Jack couldn't be happier about the breakup; he couldn't stand the guy.

Sam had been jumpy after that. They were in between missions and she tried to distract herself with work. But when she did go home, she was careful to look around to see if his car was parked around her house before getting out. She had deleted numerous messages Pete left on her answering machine. On some messages he apologized for his behavior, while others he threatened to ruin her life and 'make her pay'. Even her brother had called to try and convince her to change her mind. _If he only knew what really happened_ , Sam thought as she listened to him pleading with her on the answering machine before deleting the message. Obviously, Pete was only telling his side of the story and Sam thought it best to just let things pass. It took six months until the harassment completely stopped, but she thought about it all the time. And now he was back?

If she was going to be honest with herself, even before that night, she had already been thinking on how to let him down easy on the engagement proposal. Pete was nice enough as things go and paid her a lot of compliments, but that was about it. They didn't have much in common, and dinner with a movie was as exciting as things got. Sam kept on waiting for things to get more serious for her, wanting to feel that longing for him when they were away on missions. But that never came to fruition, even when they finally got intimate. It didn't take long to find out that Pete wasn't all that great in bed on his best day. He didn't believe in foreplay and would insist on being on top, never lasting more than a couple of minutes before rolling off of her. Her pleasure was only an afterthought to him and it just wasn't enough. She cared about him but she wasn't in love with him, and that made all of the difference to her in the end.

She also knew part of her was still holding out for a time when Jack was no longer in her chain of command. Everything she wanted to feel with Pete, she felt about Jack. The butterflies and the giddiness. Looking forward to his trips to her lab, and dreaming about him when she was in bed alone. She was embarrassed to admit that she had pleasured herself more than once thinking about her CO. There had been so many times she had wanted to give in, just kiss him while they were looking at something in her lab together. Of course they had their moments, small touches here and there, a little more caring than necessary while dressing a wound or leaning against each other while stuck as prisoners in a cell together. But they'd been good overall, always the reliable soldiers, as they put their needs and wants on the back burner for the good of the world.

* * *

"Sam?" Daniel was kneeling in front of her chair, a worried look on his face. "Carter?" she felt the Colonel's hand on her forearm while Teal'c displayed a frown as he peered at her over Daniel's shoulder. She looked at them, suddenly snapping out of it, "Yes, I'm fine, sorry, I guess I kind of drifted off there." She shook her head a bit as if clearing out some cobwebs.

"Perhaps we should return you to the infirmary Major Carter," Teal'c asked.

"Yeah Sam, maybe let Janet take a look just in case," Daniel added.

"No, no, I'm fine really," she responded quickly, waving them off.

Daniel had sat back in his chair while Jack's hand had slid down off of her slowly. She looked at him and saw his brow furrow in concern. He looked at his watch, "Well kids, I hate to break the news but it's about that time anyway." Sam sighed in disappointment before looking back up, trying to push Pete out of her mind and soak in as much of the view as possible. Daniel and Teal'c got their chairs together, and Daniel glanced at Sam, "Hey we'll see you guys back there, maybe grab some lunch before your therapy?"

"Sure," she responded, "see you in a few."

Jack turned to her, "I'll be right back Carter, I'm gonna throw these things in the truck."

"Take your time sir." She couldn't help the saddened smile on her face as she looked back out at the view.

Jack caught up with the guys at the truck. They were both standing at the passenger door, obviously waiting on him. Daniel started speaking as soon as he was in earshot, "Alright Jack, what was that about? Did you see how she reacted when I told her about Pete? I mean she didn't even ask what he said. That's weird right?" His arms gestured excitedly and he waited intently for an answer while Teal'c simply tilted his head and frowned. Same meaning, Jack thought, Teal'c was curious too.

Jack unlatched the bed to his truck and put the chair and cooler in the back. "I don't know Daniel; it could mean anything." When Daniel scoffed, Jack sighed, "Maybe she regrets dumping the guy and wants a second chance." _God, please don't let that be it_ , he thought. Daniel's eyes widened, "You think?"

Just the thought he could have landed on the actual reason pissed Jack off, and his threw up his hands in frustration, "I don't know Daniel, and you don't know, and Teal'c doesn't know. The only person that knows is Carter." He slammed the tailgate shut, turned and walked away from them back towards the cliff. "So why don't you ask her," he threw back curtly over his shoulder without breaking stride.

"Geesh, what's with him?" Daniel grumbled as he got into the car.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c responded as he buckled in, "does it not seem reasonable that O'Neil would not care to think about Major Carter and Pete Shanahan repairing their relationship."

Daniel sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

The guys drove off as Jack was coming out into the clearing. She was still looking straight ahead and just in case her mind had wandered off again, he cleared his throat to let her know he was coming. She seemed to snap out of it quicker than before, and he bent over to unlock the wheels to the chair. "All set Carter?"

She flashed a quick smile, "You bet sir."

He wheeled her in silence back to the truck and lifted her into her seat. She looked at his profile while he seat-belted her in. Sam recognized that blank look, it was the concerned and distracted expression she'd seen on his face more times than she could count. Jack shut her door and put the chair up before making his way around and hopping into his seat. He put his seat belt on, placed his hands on the steering wheel, and then froze. She looked at him again, curiously watching his eyes shifting, his hands gripping and un gripping the vinyl on the wheel at the ten and two position.

Finally, he let out a big breath and looked at her. "Carter, you know you can... you know..." his right hand flipped back and forth while he thought about the phrase he wanted to use. "Talk to me," he finished quickly. "If you want to, I mean." His head dropped out of frustration when he saw her confused look. "Aw hell," he muttered under his breath before looking at her again. "You just seemed distracted back there when Daniel was talking about...the cop. And I wanted to let you know that I'm here for you, if you need to talk, off the record...privately." He cringed at his wording, "as a friend I mean." His eyes drifted down and Sam had to do everything in her power not to giggle. He was trying so hard to be there for her and she thought his concern for her was absolutely adorable. She's never seen him so out of sorts, almost shy even. Although, he was never big on talking about personal issues, so this was kind of uncharted territory. Attempting to give him a comforting and understanding smile, Sam placed her hand on his forearm briefly until he looked up at her. When he did, she said with all sincerity, "Thank you sir, that really means a lot." Part of her wanted to tell him the truth about Pete, but honestly, she was embarrassed. She prided herself on being independent, and felt like she might lose some of Jack's respect if she had to ask for help from her CO to deal with an idiot ex-boyfriend.

Jack nodded and gave a small smile before starting the engine and heading back.


	3. Chapter 3

James, the physical therapist, was with Sam in the gym when Jack entered. It had been a good two weeks after their trip to the cliff and the time away had worked wonders for Sam's confidence. She came back with a renewed sense of urgency to get back on her feet. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, her leg recovery was still slow going.

Currently, James had her holding onto some parallel bars, as he stood behind her with his hands around her waist to support her every step. When the twinge of jealousy hit him full force, Jack had an overwhelming urge to walk over there and lay him out. Instead, he concentrated on Sam, taking one slow, shaky step at a time. Her face was creased with determination and her bottom lip was gripped tightly in between her teeth as she struggled to finish the step. Jack could tell James was supporting quite a bit of her weight because only the balls of her toes were touching the ground. After one more half step, her legs became unsteady and just when Jack was about to instinctively walk over to grab her, James told her to stand still while he retrieved her chair. Once in the chair, Jack breathed a sigh of relief as Sam wheeled herself away from the bars and used her towel to dry off her sweaty face.

He came over and sat down on the weight bench opposite her. "Not bad Carter, you'll be back to jogging in no time."

Sam looked at him and gave him a small smile, noticeably exhausted from her efforts. "Thanks sir, but it sure doesn't feel like it."

James glanced uncomfortably at Jack as he walked up behind her, "Should we head out Major?"

"I got it James, thank you," she replied.

James nodded quickly at Jack before heading out of the gym.

Sam chuckled, "I think you scared him Colonel."

Jack smirked, "Good." Then he looked at her questioningly, "You sure you'll be okay getting back?"

Sam motioned down, "Yes sir, one thing I've been getting the hang of is this chair. I'm just going to take a breather first before I head out."

Jack nodded, "Alright then, I'm going to get some reps in before my meeting with the General."

Sam wheeled herself slowly toward the door, and then backed her wheelchair against the wall to keep out of the way. She reached behind herself, and pulled a water bottle out of the back pocket of the chair before tilting her head back and taking a couple long drinks.

She couldn't help but watch her CO in the background. Trying not to stare too intently, she glanced in time to see him bench press the heavy weight with ease. She smirked and looked away before he got up. It always amazed her how deceptively strong he was. He never flaunted it or tried to impress anyone. If anything, he poked fun at himself more than most and Sam found the modesty extremely attractive. Watching out of the corner of her eye as he moved over to the dumbbells and began curling, Sam remembered a time when they had been working out late together, and had the gym to themselves. Each of them taking turns on the bench lifting weight. She specifically remembered slipping into a fantasy back then, thinking what would happen if she had straddled him while he was lying down on the bench and sizing up the weight.

In her daydream, he was startled, and sat up quickly, causing them to be face to face. But then he froze, like the realization of what she was doing had just hit him. She took his face in her hands and bent down slowly, taking his lower lip into hers as he closed his eyes and hummed, seeming to savor the taste of her. When she felt his lips part, her tongue darted out and found his. The contact spurred him to life, and he moaned in her mouth as his tongue possessively caressed hers. She felt his callused hands grip her ass and his long fingers wrapping tightly around her cheeks before he pulled her swiftly against his hardened bulge. He swallowed her gasp as she ground her wet heat against him, her hands moving around his neck and up the back of his head, her fingernails grazing his scalp through his hair as she heard him groan again. "Carter?"

Sam jumped. Jack was standing in front of her, his black t-shirt sweaty and looking concerned. Sam's heart was racing a mile a minute. What was worse was that she couldn't tell if it was from him waking her from the daydream, or from the serious lust she was feeling from that daydream. She put her head down into her hands in disbelief. _What is wrong with me?_

Jack bent down in front of her and put a hand on the arm of her chair, "Hey," he said, obvious worry creasing his brow, "Carter, say something before I wheel you down to Janet." Sam could barely look back at him she was so embarrassed. "No sir, I'm fine, really, just drifted off there for a minute."

Jack stood back up and smiled gently, "That driftin' thing is gettin' kinda common for ya dontcha know," he teased in his favorite Minnesotan accent. Sam groaned internally, _Ugh_ , w _hy did he have to be so cute?_

_Quick, think of something and leave before you make a fool of yourself...or before he decides to have you committed._

Sam threw out a nervous faint laugh, "Well I guess I should get cleaned up sir, umm...I'll see you later then?" She didn't wait for a response and wheeled herself out of the gym towards the elevator, leaving Jack standing there with a perplexed look on his face.

He certainly had a point about the drifting, she thought as she wheeled along. Why was her obsession with him working overtime all of the sudden? She pondered on it for a moment before realizing she was at the door to her quarters already. That was quick, she thought as she was distracted by the feeling of strength in her arms and how they had outdone the recovery of her legs by a long shot. Probably due mostly to the constant chair work. Now if only she could translate that to her legs somehow.

* * *

Later that night, Sam couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, frustrated at her lack of progress and annoyed at the inappropriate thoughts of her CO. Sure she had her moments of weakness in the past when it came to him, but certainly not this often. She needed to concentrate on walking. In fact, what she really needed was time away from the base, from him...before she lost her mind with wanting something she couldn't have. With new found motivation, Sam pulled the chair over to her bed, sat in it, and wheeled herself to the closet. She pulled out a sports bra and t-shirt, grateful she was already wearing sweatpants. Then changed and put on her socks and sneakers, before fingering her hair into a somewhat normal appearance, and heading out the door. When she got to the gym, she wasn't surprised to find it dark. After all it was barely 0300hrs. She wheeled into the dark room and the motion sensors activated the lights. She stared at the fateful parallel bars and wheeled herself to the starting position at the one end, just like she had done multiple times with James for therapy.

It was Saturday morning, and she wouldn't see James until Monday. She needed to work harder, simple as that, she thought. Obviously she wasn't getting enough therapy, so why not attack the problem like everything else? She would just have to double up on the workouts, and eventually results would follow; just like the chair work had for her arms. "Come on Sam, get your ass up and do this," she said between gritted teeth as she reached up for the bars. It took everything she had to lift herself up, which should have been the first clue. She had managed to get herself standing flat footed, but her feet felt foreign to her. Her knees started buckling almost immediately, so she struggled to straighten her back to alleviate the pressure on her legs. Her forearms were braced on the bars, but suddenly her arms felt weak. Refusing to give up so quickly, she slid both her right foot and her forearms forward on the bar. But after only her second step, her body began shaking uncontrollably. She realized quickly that she was in trouble and was too far out to reach her chair. As soon as she tried to turn around, she fell, landing on her right side with a thud. Cussing angrily, she was grateful there had been at least some thin padded mats to land on. Her entire body was shaking in exhaustion. Ok, so maybe she hadn't given herself enough time to rest after her earlier therapy session. _Shit._ After she caught her breath, she tried to turn herself toward her wheelchair but could barely lift her arms and ended up collapsing back down. "Great," she said out loud, clearly pissed at herself as she rolled to her back and tried to think of what to do next. Fifteen minutes later the lights shut off, leaving her in the dark. "Great!" she yelled.

It was two hours later when Teal'c walked in. Sam had drifted off to sleep and woke up when the lights came on. She was able to sit up, but still struggled to move towards the chair. Relief overcame her when she saw Teal'c. She'd been terrified that it would be some random Airman she didn't know, who would undoubtedly spread the news of her predicament like wildfire. Teal'c noticed her immediately. "Major Carter," he said as he hurried over and bent down. "Do you require assistance?"

Sam managed a tight-lipped smile, "Yes, thank you Teal'c. If you could just help me to my chair?" Teal'c nodded and picked her up easily. He brought her to her chair and sat her down. "Are you injured Major Carter, shall I bring you to the infirmary?" he asked, a concerned frown on his face.

 _Just my pride_. "No, no Teal'c, thank you," she responded, "I think I just overdid it. Would you mind just bringing me back to my room?"

"Of course," he stated, while he headed behind her chair and began pushing. Once they arrived to her room, he opened the door and wheeled her inside. Sam had been wondering how she was going to ask if he wouldn't mind putting her on the bed. She didn't get the chance because when he locked the chair, he said simply, "Allow me Major Carter," before lifting her up and laying her on the bed.

Sam was so relieved. "Thank you Teal'c," she said gratefully. Teal'c straightened up, smiled, and bowed his head before leaving. How she loved that man.

* * *

It didn't take long for Sam to fall asleep and it was a few hours later when she heard a knock at the door. "Sam? It's me Daniel. Can I come in?"

Sam answered yes groggily.

Daniel entered and sat on the side of her bed, the concerned look on his face said it all. "Hey, I was just asking Teal'c if he had seen you, and he told me about finding you in the gym this morning. Are you okay? Have you seen Janet? How long were you lying there? Why were you there by yourself?"

Sam interrupted his questions by putting her left hand in a stop position and sat up against the headboard.

She sighed, knowing he would just keep digging if she tried to avoid his questions, "I decided to test out a dumb theory is all." When Daniel simply pushed up his glasses and gave her a confused look, she continued. "The progress on walking has been so slow, I just thought I needed more therapy than I'm getting from James."

"Come on Sam," Daniel gave her a meaningful look, "you can't rush these kinds of things." He sat on the edge of the bed and patted her arm, adding, "And I know what you were thinking, but you can't overwork yourself like you do to solve problems in your lab. It's not the same thing." When she looked down guiltily, he smiled, got up and looked at his watch, "Come on, we can still make it for breakfast and coffee." He emphasized coffee while rubbing his hands together greedily. Sam smiled and rolled her eyes, before moving to her chair. "Okay, just give me a few minutes to get a shower and change."

"Yep, take your time," he replied sleepily before hopping back on the bed and lying down with his hands behind his head. Sam shook her head with a laugh and grabbed her clothes, making her way into the bathroom and onto the awaiting shower bench.

Sam was a little tired after getting ready, but still insisted against Daniel's offer to wheel her. Once they got to the cafeteria, they saw Teal'c wasting no time on the three plates of food in front of him, while Jack picked at his. As soon as Jack saw Sam, he popped out of his chair and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Hey, didn't know if you guys were going to make it." He acted as if he was talking to both of them, but was only looking at Sam. Daniel noticed immediately and looked back and forth between them.

Sam sighed, knowing immediately by his odd demeanor that he knew about her embarrassing gym incident.

"I'm fine Sir," she said. When he shuffled his feet and didn't say anything, she added emphatically, "really."

Daniel chimed in quickly, "Sam you just stay here, I'll grab the food."

She gave a small smile, "Thanks Daniel, maybe just some eggs and fruit?"

Jack moved a chair to another table to make room for her wheelchair and sat down, while Sam wheeled up and said hello to Teal'c. Teal'c had his mouth full of pineapple, but gave her a nod back.

Jack continued to play with his food a bit, concern still evident on his face. Finally, he laid his fork down. "So Carter, what made you go the gym by yourself? Any one of us would have gone with you."

Sam closed her eyes for a second and exhaled before opening them again, "Sir, I just thought maybe I just needed a little extra training, and I couldn't sleep so..."

She shrugged as if the rest of her sentence would be redundant. Jack crossed his arms, "Well, no more of that. We'll help you," he finished as Daniel was sitting down with the food.

"Absolutely," Daniel stated emphatically, as if he'd been there for the whole conversation. He slid Sam's food over to her, "just not today," he finished. When they all looked at him, he said hurriedly, "I mean I just have to finish this translation for SG-5 before they head out tomorrow." He took a bite of fried egg and finished talking with a mouthful of food, "And I'm close, really close."

"Say it don't spray it Daniel," Jack chided and then looked questioningly toward Teal'c, who had finally finished eating and was wiping his face with a napkin.

Teal'c spoke up, "General Hammond has asked me to accompany SG-7 on a research mission. They require a replacement for Major Archer who has been injured." Sam gave him a small smile to convey that she understood.

Jack spoke up determinedly, "Well then, guess that just makes it you and I Major."

Sam gave him a weak smile, "You really don't have to sir, I'm sure you have plenty to do. I'm actually surprised to see you, I thought you had gone home for the weekend."

"Yes, well," Jack said nonchalantly, "I had some paperwork to take care of and decided to just stay on base." He looked at his watch, "So, I'll pick you up in an hour then."

As he stood up, Sam realized he wasn't going to take no for an answer and nodded, "Sounds good sir, see you then...and thanks."

"Think nothing of it Carter," Jack said lightly as he dropped off his tray and walked out. Teal'c left shortly thereafter, while Daniel was finishing up his food and drinking his coffee. Sam had stopped eating a while ago and seemed deep in thought. Something about the way people were acting around her seemed off. Every time she wheeled around a corner, they would stop talking, and today was no different. As she looked around the cafeteria, she noticed people staring and then looking away after making eye contact. And there was still the way the Colonel had been acting towards her recently.

She looked at Daniel who was taking a sip of coffee. Her eyes narrowed, "Daniel, what's going on?" Daniel's eyes got wide and he set down his mug. Sam's eyes widened at his knowing reaction, and she felt like Nancy Drew finding a clue. "Daniel," she drew his name out purposefully and leaned forward.

Daniel took another sip of coffee. "Nothing's going on, what do you mean?" He saw her disappointed expression and almost gave in, "It's...", he paused. "Nothing," he said again more forcefully, "Hey, I really should get going." He stood up quickly with his tray, "Are you ok to get back to your room?"

Sam had a surprised look on her face from his sudden urgency to leave, "Well, yes but..." Before she could finish, he was already taking care of his tray by the door. "Okay then," he waved, "I'll see you later Sam," he yelled back to her as he swiftly exited the room.

"What the hell was that about," she said under her breath as she tried to think of what could be causing the odd behavior focused around her. Was it her imagination, just like the stuff with the Colonel? Although, Daniel certainly seemed nervous when she started asking questions. Yep, something was definitely going on, she just couldn't put her finger on it. She gave up with a sigh, dropped her tray off, and headed to her room to change for therapy.

* * *

Sam was waiting patiently in her chair, changed and ready to go when Jack knocked. She opened the door to see Jack in dark grey sweatpants and a black sleeveless t-shirt. He clapped his hands together, "All right, let's get this show on the road." Sam smiled and wheeled out. Jack closed her door, came right up behind, and started wheeling her forward. When she opened her mouth to protest, he bent over and cut her off with a smile, "Now now Carter, why don't you just save your strength for the tough stuff eh?"

When they got into the gym, the place was almost deserted, except for a few Airmen on the weights. Jack wheeled Sam over to the mats, picked her up and placed her gently down onto them.

She was surprised they were starting on the ground, "Sir, I thought we'd be working on the parallel bars."

Jack kneeled down, cringing a bit before resting on his shins beside her knees. "Ah, well I figured we'd start with some stretching first."

"I've been stretching with James," Sam said absentmindedly, "but he doesn't spend much time on it."

"Well, we're going to take our time Carter," Jack explained, "stretching strengthens muscle tissue, which allows you to do every exercise more effectively and with greater range of motion." When Sam's eyebrows rose, he smirked, "With the amount of physical therapy I've had over the years, I could probably get certified as a therapist without opening a book." Sam laughed and Jack's heart leapt, he loved making her laugh. "So, let's start with the left leg shall we? With both legs flat on the ground, try raising your left leg as far as you can on your own."

Sam laid on her back and started to lift her left leg as high as she could, which was at about forty five degrees. When her leg started shaking, Jack took it into his hands and shifted around until he was kneeling in front of her. Sam inhaled sharply at the sudden motion and the blazing heat from his hands cradling her leg.

Jack froze at the sound, hoping he hadn't caused her any pain, "Are you ok?"

All Sam could manage was, "Uh huh." She could feel her face reddening as she tried to relax.

"You can bend your right leg now, and I'm going to stretch your left leg back slowly. Just concentrate on the stretch, and let me know if you feel any pain ok?" Sam nodded and Jack leaned his left shoulder against her hamstring and calf, while placing his left hand on her knee and his right on her lower thigh to keep her leg straight. Then he leaned forward slowly, in small increments. Sam put her hand around her lower hamstring as she felt the pull. It felt really good. James's stretching was never this careful or supportive. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to concentrate on how good the stretch felt and not how good it felt to have her CO's long fingers wrapped around her thigh.

Jack slowly pushed her leg back further, watching as her eyes shut gently. When she sighed he almost groaned. God she felt good...and her toned leg felt amazing in his hands. He tried hard not to think about how close his fingers were to her center. Pushing the racing thoughts out of his mind, Jack was suddenly grateful that his sweatpants were baggy. He kept waiting for her to tell him to stop, but her leg continued to bend back, forcing him to readjust to using just his hands when she went past ninety degrees. When her leg was almost touching her left shoulder, Jack stopped and slowly lowered it back down, more for him than for her. He knew she was flexible with her kicks in hand to hand combat but _Jesus._ Feeling a familiar pulling in his groin, Jack forced himself to start replaying the last hockey game he had watched in his head, as he switched legs and repeated the stretch.

Sam started to panic by the time he had her right leg bent back. She had always been flexible, but to have him touching her, opening her up like that, was almost more than she could bear. She felt a familiar warmth forming and was grateful when both legs were back on the ground.

"Alright Carter, now it's time for the bars," he said as he stood up and leaned down next to her. She nodded as he helped her up and brought her over to the starting end. As she grabbed the bars, he switched the position of his arm from around her back, down to her waist. Then brought his right hand around, and lowered her to the ground, "Good?" He asked.

"Yes sir," she answered as she concentrated on straightening her knees. He stepped up close behind her and she felt his chest graze her back, as he used his hands at her waist to adjust her hips up and back. The movement caused her back to straighten, taking some of the pressure off of the soles of her feet. Sam bit her lip, enjoying his closeness and the feel of his strong hands molding her.

"There you go," he murmured in her ear. Sam could feel his breath on her neck and felt herself starting to lean back into his chest. When he let go of her waist, she snapped out of it, and watched as he walked around to stand in front of her. When she looked at him strangely, he said, "Last time I watched you in therapy with James, it seemed like he was basically carrying you through the whole exercise, which pretty much defeats the purpose. Now, remember Carter, the goal isn't the whole bar, it's one step at a time. If you lose your balance just fall forward and I'll catch you."

"Okay sir," she pushed everything else out of her mind and shook her head trustingly.

"Alright, try the right leg first by itself, just one step forward," he had his arms outstretched in front of him just in case, while she slowly brought her right foot forward towards him. She supported her weight on her forearms sliding the right foot and then the left. After one full step, she was huffing from the exertion but had a big smile on her face. It felt like the first real step she had taken on her own and she couldn't believe how good it felt.

Jack smiled as she slid her right foot forward again, "You're doing great Carter, just take it slow. Keep your back straight and shift your weight onto the forearm opposite of the foot you're moving." Sweat was beading on her forehead as she followed his instructions, shifting her body weight to her left forearm as she tried to bring her right foot forward. The next thing she knew she had four full steps under her belt and would've been ecstatic if she hadn't been concentrating so hard. Her right foot slid forward for step number five and that's when her left forearm slipped off of the bar.

Jack reacted instantly, slipping his arms under hers and pulling her up against him tightly. "Whoa, I gotcha," he said with a huff in her ear. Sam had instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and felt her body tighten against him. A small gasp escaped her lips; it felt like she had been set on fire. _Oh My God._ His mouth was millimeters from her ear, and his tight chest pressed against her breasts while his strong arms flexed around her back, holding her up easily. "Thank you sir," she breathed out shakily.

Jack's jaw clenched. It felt like he had suddenly slipped into one of his fantasies. He could feel her nipples against his chest, imagining how hard they had to be for him to feel them through the layers of clothing. Feeling her arms wrapped around around him and hearing her breathless delivery of "sir" in his ear, had him hard and ready. Grateful he had opted for boxer briefs this time instead of his usual boxers, he pushed his hips back to avoid contact _down there_. Christ. He did his best to tamp down the obvious effect she was having on him as he carried her the few short steps back to her chair.

Once he set her down gently, Sam was able to nod her thanks, clearly out of breath. She shifted her legs together to ease the intense pressure and dampness that had formed between her thighs. It felt like her face was on fire, and she felt the flush from their close contact all the way down her body, praying her CO would just chalk it up to exertion. Meanwhile, Jack stayed awkwardly bent over and quickly walked behind her chair before looking around the gym, suddenly eternally grateful to whatever God there was that they were now the only ones left in the room.

He adjusted himself and cleared his throat.

"Good job Carter," Jack managed as he handed her the towel and water bottle from the back of her chair. "Now, take some slow deep breaths," he instructed as he wheeled her in front of the weight bench and took a seat on it in front of her, finally feeling himself starting to calm down. Sam lifted her water bottle to take a sip, and when she did, Jack saw the redness on the underside of her forearm. He reached out to her other arm and bent it forward to see the underside, noticing the same bright redness and even some bruising underneath. _Probably from when she was here by herself earlier this morning_ , he thought. His brow furrowed, "Damn Carter, you should have told me about that."

"It's ok sir," she said, finally starting to breathe normally, "I'll be fine."

He grimaced, "Well we'll have to get some ice on that." He held a finger out, "Don't move, I'll be right back."

Jack disappeared and came back a few minutes later with a hand towel full of ice. Carter smiled, "Thank you sir." Jack spun the towel in place to ensure the ice stayed put, and put it on arm of her chair, while she placed the underside of her forearm on it, trapping it in place.

Their eyes met and Jack gave her one of his rare big smiles, "You made some great progress today Carter," Jack said proudly, "giant leaps and all that." Sam looked down shyly. She always loved when he looked at her like that, with pride after she had accomplished something big. That smile was dangerous and it did funny things to her insides.

Sam looked back up appreciatively, "Thank you for your help sir; I'm going to ask James to do the same thing with the stretching on Monday and from here on out." Jack nodded his head as he pushed past another wave of jealousy, "That's a good idea, and no need to thank me, you're the one doing all of the hard work."

There was a lull in the conversation and Sam suddenly remembered the awkward silence between her and Daniel earlier. She looked up at Jack curiously. "You know sir, I was talking to Daniel earlier about something feeling off."

Jack frowned a bit, "Off?" _Uh oh_

"Yes sir, there's just something about the way people in the SGC have been acting around me lately. He seemed like he was about to say something and then decided against it," she responded.

"Hmmm, that's weird," Jack said as nonchalantly as he could.

"I don't know sir," Sam said slowly, "something seems...different."

Jack shrugged dismissively, "I wouldn't worry about it Carter. What's important now is getting you back to your full strength."

Sam nodded and did her best to push it aside for now, but Daniel knew something, she was sure of it.

Jack wheeled her back to her room. Once they were inside, she mentioned needing another shower as she took control of the chair and turned it to face him. When she saw the dark look in his eyes, she realized what she'd said and blushed.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, he froze. The images of washing every inch of her before pressing her against the tile and sliding into her heat, flipped through his mind like an old reel to reel movie. He felt his blood flowing south and saw her face flush. _Damn_. Managing a thin smile, that he was positive had given him away, he turned on his heal, rambled something about paperwork, and left quickly. He let out a frustrated breath as he walked down the hall and away from her room. Once in the safe confines of his office, he combed his hand through his hair, thinking about how his patience for this show they were putting on, was wearing thin.

A short time later Daniel came by and they exchanged notes on Sam's suspicions. Jack shook his head, "I don't know how much longer I can deal with this Daniel."

Daniel nodded empathetically, "I know it's hard Jack, but Janet says it shouldn't be much longer before she can walk on her own. Until then, it's really all she should be thinking about."

Jack grimaced, "Yeah well, this whole thing feels cruddy."

* * *

The next two weeks went quickly. Sam was back in her lab working part time between rest and therapy sessions. The new tactics for therapy had worked wonders, and now she was able to walk mostly on her own power, using forearm crutches for extra support.

Being able to move around base easier, she was convinced more than ever that something was going on. Little things here and there were throwing her off and she noticed that everyone seemed to be avoiding her. She felt like she was stuck in a Twilight Zone episode and had tried to corner Daniel a few times about the awkwardness, but he always seemed to find a way to avoid her questions or change the subject. As the weekend approached, Sam realized she needed a break from the craziness, and hoped she could convince Janet to let her go home. After speaking with the General and James, she walked down to the infirmary and found Janet in her office talking to Daniel.

Daniel stood up quickly and their conversation ended abruptly. "Hey Sam," he stepped back and offered her the chair.

"Hey Daniel, what's going on?" Sam looked back and forth between them suspiciously while taking a seat.

Janet just looked at Daniel, and he answered quickly, "Oh nothing, we were just talking about, umm you actually, and how well the recovery is going."

"Yes," Janet answered quickly, "your recent progress has been really amazing Sam."

Sam's eyes squinted a bit. She knew that they weren't really talking about her recovery, but decided to leave it alone for more pressing matters. "So that's kind of the reason I came down here Janet, was to ask you something." Janet just tilted her head a bit and then gave an encouraging nod to continue.

Sam cleared her throat, "I was wondering if you would let me go home."

Janet sighed and shook her head slowly, "Oh I don't know Sam."

"Please Janet," Sam pleaded, "I need some time away from this place. Just for the week. The General said I could as long as you signed off on it, and I already asked James if he would be able to do therapy at my place during that time, and he said yes."

Janet glanced at Daniel while she fiddled with her pen in her hand and sighed again, "Well, sounds like you have your mind made up, but there will be some stipulations." When Sam smiled and nodded, she continued, "No driving, no leaving the house unless you're with someone, and we will all take turns checking up on you day to day. Deal?"

Sam nodded emphatically and clapped her hands, "Thank you Janet!"

"Just please be careful," Janet responded.

Daniel decided to speak up, "Hey Sam, I'll be heading out soon and can drop you off if you want."

Sam smiled gratefully, "That would be great, thanks Daniel."

After informing the Colonel and Teal'c about going home and the new stipulations, she headed to her quarters to pack.

* * *

Once Sam got her bag together, they got into Daniel's car and headed off the base. She was flooded with relief after they passed the gate guards and opened the window to get a breeze. It was so nice to be free of the mountain, and it was going to feel even better to sleep in her own bed for a change. While Daniel drove, he tried to think of something to talk about that would distract her. He had spent the last two weeks avoiding her, not wanting to put the added pressure of everything else on top of her healing. But he knew the time was coming when he would have to tell her about the big changes. He suddenly remembered her reaction to Pete's name during their day at the cliff and decided to take Jack's advice on asking her about it, "So I was thinking about something."

"Oh," Sam responded.

"Yeah," he started, "remember the day when Jack had us all meet up at that cliff on base?"

How could she forget. She hadn't stopped thinking about what Daniel said about talking to Pete, and had avoided asking him what was said exactly, not wanting to let on that it bothered her.

"Yes Daniel," she joked, "I'm not that far gone."

Daniel smiled, "Well when you came back from...drifting off to...wherever, you never asked about him or asked what he said."

Sam swallowed nervously, "Okay, so...what did he say?"

Daniel glanced over at her, "He said that he knew that all you needed was some time to think. And when he said it, he sounded almost...arrogant."

Sam's stomach dropped and she scoffed sarcastically before she could stop herself.

"What did he mean by that?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

She shrugged and shook he head, "I don't know Daniel, he's delusional."

Daniel drove silently for a moment and then looked back at her, "Is he going to be a problem Sam? Because the way he said it, sounded... problematic." She looked out of her window for a moment, trying to think of the precautions she would have to take when she got home, knowing she was in no condition to go one on one against him if it came to that.

"He's harmless," she said bluntly, hoping Daniel was buying what she was selling.

Daniel opened his mouth to question her more, but figured he knew his friend well enough to know when to leave it alone. However, the fact that she didn't want to tell him worried him. There wasn't much that they didn't talk about. His brow furrowed as he thought about what he would do if he saw Pete again. What he would say. Daniel sure didn't see himself as a fighter, but if he found out that Pete had done or said anything crazy to her, he would beat him down, or at least tell the Jack and Teal'c so they could.

When they got to Sam's house, it was well into the afternoon. There were no signs of Pete's car, which gave Sam a moment of relief as Daniel helped her get inside with her bags. Once inside Sam plopped down on her couch thankfully and then yelled out, "Daniel you can just leave the bags on my bed, I'll get to them later."

"Ok," Daniel yelled back from her bedroom before coming out and heading for her kitchen. "Sorry, I would have had some things here if I thought you were coming home today." He opened the fridge and looked inside, "there's a couple of beers in here, a bottle of white wine and condiments."

Sam chuckled, "A glass of wine sounds great actually."

Daniel grabbed a wine glass out of the cabinet, "Coming right up."

Daniel came back with wine for her and a beer for him, then sat on the couch next to her and took a sip. "We put your mail on the kitchen counter."

Sam grinned and took a sip, "Thanks Daniel, to you and the guys for taking care of things while I was away."

"Hey, that's what we do," he grinned back and then silence fell as Sam took a look around the room. When he didn't continue talking, she looked back at him curiously. Daniel was looking down at his beer, tapping the side of it in obvious deep thought. She knew that look and decided to go on the offensive while he looked vulnerable. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to beat it out of you with my crutch?"

Daniel looked up quickly, he eyes widened a bit and he dropped his head again while he took another sip of his beer. Sam waited patiently, noticing the signs of him about to break. He started nicking at the label with his thumbnail before taking a deep breath and letting it out forcefully, "Ok, I just don't want you to be mad."

"Why would I be mad?" Sam replied as she sat up a bit and curled her legs under her.

Daniel took another long swig and let loose. "Listen Sam, you have to understand that when you were shot that day, we all thought you were gone. You had lost a lot of blood and stopped breathing; Janet was cutting you open within seconds of them getting you into the OR." Daniel took a deep breath and exhaled shakily, reliving the moment. "It looked hopeless, and we were devastated, all of us...especially," he cleared his throat..." Jack."

Sam's stomach lurched and her eyebrows rose at the mention of her CO's name. "Well I'm sorry Daniel," she said slowly, "I know how that feels." She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "I've had to live through that experience with you guys more than once and it's terrible." She paused, "But so have you. This isn't the first time I've been badly hurt or even dead to a certain extent."

Daniel looked down, "I know but this felt... different. There was so much blood and all we could do was wait. And like I said, Jack really took it hard, not knowing if you were going to live or die," he emphasized Jack's name again.

Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to see where he was going with this. "Okaaaaay," urging him to continue.

"Soooo..," he took a breath, "He retired," Daniel said quickly and then drained his bottle in one fell swoop.

Sam's eyes bugged out immediately. "Retired!? What do you mean retired?!"

Now she was glaring at him. "Daniel! What do you mean retired, he's been there day in and day out, going to meetings with the General, working out at the gym, wearing his uniform. You're not making any sense!"

Daniel adjusted his glasses and looked down, "Well that part was kind of my idea."

Sam put her wine glass down on the coffee table and faced Daniel, now sitting sideways with her right leg tucked under and her left leg on the floor. She leaned towards him with her hands clasped tightly to get him to look up, "Explain Daniel," she said forcefully.

"Sam, when everything happened, Jack blamed himself. Not just for what happened to you that day, but for not acting on things sooner..." When Sam cocked her head in confusion, he finished by rolling his hand around, "you know, between the two of you."

Sam's chest tightened and she felt completely dumbfounded. Her mouth opened slightly and then closed, then opened again before she said slowly, "Are you saying that he retired to pursue a relationship with me?"

Daniel smiled, his hand motioning out to her, "Yes! Exactly...see, not so bad right? I mean, you do have feelings for him, right?"

Sam ignored his question, "So he retired..." Still trying to wrap her head around it. _Holy Hannah_

Daniel held up a finger, "Well technically they wouldn't let him leave entirely, so the best they could offer was a contracting job as a civilian...doing pretty much the same thing. So, see, not so bad right?" he said again.

Sam continued, "And all of this other stuff, the uniform, the meetings, the obvious talking behind my back..."

"You thought it was obvious?" Daniel interrupted with a frown.

"... was just what? Charades?" Sam finished curtly.

Daniel cleared his throat; sensing things were taking a turn. "So, like I said, that was my fault. Well it was actually a kind of a consensus between Janet, the General and I, but I was the one to push Jack." Looking anxious, Daniel paused and thumbed over to the kitchen , "Um, can I get another beer?"

Sam shook her head no, "Finish Daniel. What do you mean push the Col... Jack?"

"Well, we all spent time at your bedside while you were in your coma, Jack more than the rest of us. And he was just sitting there in his civilian clothes waiting for you to wake up. To tell you about how he felt and that he had retired and everything." Daniel's face scrunched up in a cringe, "And we just thought it may be too much change for you to handle at one time. Janet was concerned that if you had permanent brain damage it would affect your cognitive ability, and seeing him in a different manner than you're used to may upset you, or hinder your recovery."

"Ok," Sam responded, "and when the tests came back negative for permanent damage?"

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck, "We just thought you shouldn't have to worry about anything but getting better, no added stresses or pressure from anyone or anything," he answered gently.

"So, let me get this straight, you didn't think I could handle the truth and be rational enough to deal with it, is that it?" she asked, anger finally rearing its head. "And the whole base knew about it?" realization was dawning on her.

"Well no, no I wouldn't put it that way...and everyone else only knew because of the retirement party," Daniel started, trying desperately to argue his case.

Her eyes widened incredulously, "Retirement party?! So, what, after the party you told everyone not to say anything to me, like it was some kind of game? And...Jack, just went along with this?" she said angrily and in disbelief. "I thought, you guys of all people should know me better than that. All the stuff we've been through and it was easier for you to lie to me than tell me the truth? Why would you think I'd be okay with that?!"

Daniel put a hand out to her, but she got up instead, grabbing her crutches, "Get out Daniel, I need some time alone."

Daniel stood and started to apologize, "I'm sorry Sam, I just..."

Sam interrupted, her jaw clenching, "Daniel please, before I say something I'm going to regret."

Daniel put his head down for a second before placing his empty bottle on the coffee table and heading to the door to let himself out.

Sam crutched her way into her bedroom, and laid down on her bed, her thoughts reeling.

 _He really retired...for me?_ She thought of the way he had been there for her recently, how supportive and caring he'd been. It all started to make sense and her stomach flip flopped. _We're free of regulations, finally?_

Then she thought back to what Daniel said and her anger flared again, _but they didn't think I could handle it?_ She thought of all the times that people had stopped talking around her in the last month, "Jesus, the whole fucking base knew!" she yelled out aloud before putting her hands on her face in embarrassment.


	4. Chapter 4

When Daniel left Sam's house, he sat in his car, trying to decide if it would do any good to go back inside and try to explain. But then he realized that it wasn't that she didn't understand, it was that she felt angry and hurt that her choice to decide had been taken away from her...and he felt guilty as hell. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jack's number.

Jack answered after the second ring, "O'Neill."

"Hey Jack, it's me."

"Hey me...,"

Daniel could practically hear him smirking and rolled his eyes, "So, I told her."

There was silence, "Told her what?" Jack asked carefully.

"Pretty much everything," he sighed.

More silence, "She's pissed isn't she." Jack said candidly.

"Oh yeah, really pissed," Daniel nodded, as if Jack could see him through the phone.

Jack huffed, "Goddamn it Daniel, I told you."

Daniel could hear him taking a drink and figured it was a beer. "Yeah, I know...and she kicked me out."

"Kicked you out? Wow..."

Daniel rifled his hand through his hair, "Yeah, I haven't seen her mad like this...at me... ever, I think."

"What about me? You think she's mad at me too?" Jack sounded concerned.

Daniel thought back, "She seemed kinda mad at everyone that knew. But mostly me."

"Soooo...when you told her _why_ I retired?" Jack prodded.

"She didn't really address that, she seemed to be focusing on the anger."

Daniel heard Jack take another drink, "Where are you now?"

"I'm still in front of her house. I was trying to decide if I should go back inside," Daniel said as he looked back toward her front door.

"Probably not a good idea Danny Boy."

"Yeah...probably not," he sighed reluctantly, "So what now?"

"Now it's time to do what I've been trying to do since the day she got hurt." Daniel heard him finish his beer and set down the bottle. "Time to come clean," he said plainly. "Why don't you head home, I'll be heading over soon...and hopefully she doesn't kick me out too," he muttered.

"Alright Jack, I'll give you a call later," Daniel finished, sounding defeated.

"Yep...see ya," Jack answered before the line went dead.

Jack's stomach was in knots. The moment had arrived after years of skirting the edge of military regulations and protocol. Years of just barely holding on to his sanity as he had watched Sam cycle through potential suitors; some alien, some not. Of course he had distracted himself with others as well, trying to force his true feelings for her into an imaginary room that seemed impossibly inaccessible. Originally thinking he only had to wait until the threat was eliminated before he could open the fateful door, only to find another threat taking it's place from a never-ending line of bad guys. And now here he was, minutes away from not just opening that door, but strapping a brick of C4 to it and blowing it to smithereens. He was excited and terrified all at the same time, grabbing his wallet and cell phone and stuffing them into his jeans pockets hurriedly. For some reason, a peace offering came to mind. _Thank the Stargate program for that gem_ , he thought sarcastically, as he grabbed a six pack of beer out of the fridge and the pizza that had just been delivered off the counter. He stacked the beer on top of the pizza, picking them both up with his left hand while grabbing his keys with his right, and opened the door. "Here we go," he muttered as he crossed the threshold, through his own private stargate, and into uncharted territory.

* * *

Sam was still lying on her bed when she heard her front door open slowly and close. She rolled her eyes and called out, "Daniel...I was serious." There was no answer and silence followed before she finally heard footsteps coming toward her room. Sam sat up quickly in bed... something didn't feel right.

The steps were heavy, heavier than Daniel's would be. She grabbed for a crutch, as Pete walked into her room. Sam froze with her hand in mid-air.

Pete stood there, staring at her, his eyes cold and emotionless. He was wearing wrinkled jeans and a faded flannel shirt that hung loosely over him. He looked almost homeless with his unshaven face and unkempt appearance. Then he flashed a tight smile, "Hey Babe."

Sam reached quickly for her crutch again.

"Ah ah," he said quickly. Sam heard the familiar sharp sound of a gun cocking and pulled her hand back as she looked back at him; her heart was pounding. He had a silver handgun in his right hand and tapped it against his thigh nonchalantly. The metallic sound of the slide against his leg filled the room ominously as his finger remained at touch point. His smile disappeared, "So, you and Daniel...are you guys a thing now?"

Her internal claxons were blaring at the sight of the gun and she swallowed the acidic taste forming in her mouth. As if she had just stepped into a Goa'uld prison, she unconsciously channeled her inner 'tough soldier' persona and pulled her to the forefront. Sam's eyebrows furrowed, "No, of course not." Even as erratic as his behavior had been after she broke up with him, she still couldn't believe he was there, in her bedroom, with a gun.

He shook his head and pursed his lips like he didn't believe her.

"Pete, what are you doing here?" She could smell the alcohol from where he stood and couldn't help putting the pieces together. Drunk, blood shot eyes, the lack of attention to appearance and his reckless demeanor, screamed 'alcoholic'.

He smiled mockingly, "Well, I heard you were hurt and thought I'd come over, and you know, see if you _needed_ anything." The sexual connotation wasn't lost on her. She probably should've been scared, and maybe she was a little because of her physical vulnerability; but mostly now, she was just pissed.

Sam glared, "Well I don't," she answered dryly. "Please leave Pete...now."

"See that's what I never understood about you," Pete raised his voice angrily and started waving the gun like it was an extension of his hand, "your lack of appreciation!" His eyes went dark and Sam could see him shaking. "All of the time and effort I put into us, and this is the thanks I get?! You know I lost my fucking job because of you?!"

Sam tried to think rationally. Where was her gun...in her purse...and her purse was...? On her bed. Trying not to look for it obviously, she turned her head slightly so she could see how close it was; spotting it in her peripheral, on the far edge. _That figures_ , she thought angrily. She eyed her crutch again. The one closest to her she could grab in an instant, while the other crutch had slid down the bed and onto the floor. She wasn't totally reliant on them, and mostly used them for support. But she also knew a crutch was no match for a gun, not at the distance he was at. Now sitting on the side of the bed, she tried to think of a way to get him closer.

"What's the matter Sam?" Pete seethed, "Nothing _smart_ to say?"

Sam looked up at him, and let herself feel her anger; felt it as it radiated through her chest like a nuclear reactor. There was no way she going out like this, begging... meek. She had to challenge him, make him want to get closer. "Fuck. You. Pete." She emphasized every word in monotoned rage, her teeth clenched together. Eyes flaring, she stared him down. "What are you too much of a pussy to fight me?"

Pete's chuckle was laced with quiet rage as he took a step forward, "Now there's the bitch I know and love. That's it, let it out you slut." He waved the gun between them up and down, as if to encourage her.

Sam sneered back, "Well you're right about one thing, me and Daniel. I _am_ fucking him you piece of shit." Pete's eyes narrowed and his jaw shifted as he took another step forward. Sam let out a small short laugh, "And guess what, I don't have to fake it like I had to with you. He knows what he's doing...and bonus, he lasts longer than a minute."

Pete yelled, his face red and lips quivering, "Shut up! Shut up you fucking bitch!" He closed the distance and Sam reacted immediately, leaning and grabbing the crutch in front of her with both hands. He brought the gun up as Sam stood and thrusted the crutch hard into his stomach. Pete gasped and doubled over, but recovered quickly to deflect Sam's second shot to his head with his left forearm.

"You're going to pay for that," he growled, gasping for air as he backhanded her with his right hand, the gun making contact above her right eye. The hard shot spun her back and left. Losing her balance, she fell into her nightstand, knocking over her small lamp and sliding to the floor, landing on her left side. The gash over her right eye was oozing blood, as she tried to steady herself. Her head was pounding and she felt the tiny shards from the broken lamp digging into her palms as she tried to push herself up. Suddenly, she felt the cold muzzle of the gun pressing against her temple as his left hand gripped the back of her neck.

Pete was breathing heavily from the exertion, "Get on to the fucking bed," he huffed. When Sam tried desperately to reach for the gun, his hand slip up her neck to the back of her head. Grabbing her by the hair, he smashed her head into the edge of the end table, hard. Sam's eyes rolled back, and she groaned, struggling to stay conscious.

* * *

Jack pulled up outside of Sam's house, and parked behind a car he recognized. Pete, he thought angrily. "What the hell is he doing here," he muttered. Deciding to leave the food and drink inside the truck, he cautiously walked to the door... trying to determine if he should knock. Maybe she called him over to patch things up? Would she do that after Daniel told her about his intentions? No, he decided, she wouldn't. Even if she was mad at him or having second thoughts about him, she wouldn't resort to that. Not his Sam.

* * *

Pete was straddling Sam's thighs. He had practically pulled her up on to the bed by her hair, partly because her face was now covered in blood and she could barely see, and partly because she was having a hard time trying not to pass out from the room spinning. Pete leaned in over her grunting, the combination of his body odor and alcohol oozing out of his pores, making her instantly nauseous. "You're mine," he panted before latching his mouth to the right side of her neck, and biting down hard, breaking the skin. Sam hissed and gritted her teeth against the pain, trying not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out. "It's okay babe, this won't take long," he sneered. She blinked through the red blur and could see the gun pointing at her forehead as she fought to keep her eyes open. With a grunt, Pete used his left hand and violently ripped the buttons on her button-down shirt, exposing her bare stomach and black bra. His intentions hit her like a bucket of water, and she used the remaining strength she had to fight, "Noooo!" She yelled, grabbing the wrist of the hand that was holding the gun with both hands, as the slow enveloping darkness consumed her.

* * *

Jack had his hand up to knock, "Screw it," he muttered. That's when he heard the scream. _Sam_. He grabbed for the doorknob with his left hand and instinctively reached around to the back of his waistband with the right, realizing immediately that in his rush, he had left his gun at home. Silently cursing himself, the door opened easily and he stepped through...every sense on high alert. That's when he heard the noticeable sound of struggling and rushed to it. When he rounded the corner into Sam's room, his eyes took in the scene. Sam and Pete we're struggling over a gun on her bed. Her shirt was ripped open and her face and chest were covered with blood. Jack let out a primal yell, ran and dove into Pete, knocking them both off the bed and onto the ground on the far side of the bedroom. The gun came out of Pete's hand when they made contact with the floor, and Jack jumped on top of him. Jack felt the dark part of him emerge, and he welcomed it as he began pounding on Pete relentlessly, landing punch after punch and elbow after elbow in a flurry of rage. Pete put his hands up in an attempt to block the blows but they still found their way through, hammering into his face and body over and over again. He cried out in pain as he felt ribs cracking and his face splintering under the heavy blows.

Turning his head in a desperate attempt to avoid the vicious onslaught, Pete spotted his gun, lying just above and to the right of his head, within arm's reach. Jack barely registered what he was looking at through his black haze and stopped hitting him. There it was, his legal justification. Pete took his chance and desperately reached for the weapon, swinging it towards Jack. That's when Jack exhaled a deep growl and threw a massive, targeted elbow strike at Pete's throat, crushing his trachea. Pete's eyes bugged out immediately and the gun dropped from his hand.

Jack stood up and towered over him, his chest heaving and breath ragged from the exertion, while Pete grabbed at his neck and gasped desperately for air. Jack's face was dark, hard and uncaring as he watched Pete struggle against an invisible enemy, his face twisting in fear as his own fate was realized. Under the blood, the color of Pete's face shuffled through a palette of reds and blues, until he stilled, his hands going slack and signaling that the fight for life had come and gone. As his organs began to shut down, Pete's body bucked briefly before the light drained slowly from his eyes. Seconds later, when his heart finally gave out, he laid motionless, eyes open, mouth open...and very, very dead. It wasn't lost on Jack that after only a second of contemplation, and out of the arsenal of fatal blows he had at his disposal, he had chosen a slow way for him to die.

Jack's tunnel vision faded, as he pulled himself out of the darkness and turned towards Sam. His throat constricting as he noticed she was motionless with her eyes closed. When he saw the slight rising and falling of her chest, he let out a shaky breath, figuring she must have passed out. "Sam," he called out roughly, as he walked to the other side of the bed. He pulled off the button-down shirt that was layered over his t-shirt and sat next to her. Leaning over her, he used his shirt to wipe away the blood on her face. "Sam, honey look at me," trying to push away the anxiousness in his voice when she didn't respond. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Janet, who told him that she would call the General and be heading over immediately; but for him not to worry about waking her for now.

Putting pressure on her wound and gingerly wiped her hair away from her face, he spoke to her softly, "Sam, you just relax, Janet's on her way." He pulled the blanket from the bottom of the bed up and over her bare chest.

Sam felt some pressure on her head and started coming around. When Jack saw her eyes flutter, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Hey there..."

Before he had a chance to say anything else, Sam instinctively reached both arms out, pushing him away, screaming, "No!" Jack's stomach tensed while he deflected her arms, and held her wrists, "Sam! It's me." But it was if she didn't hear him, and she yelled again, shaking her head violently. Jack saw the gash on her head start to bleed again as she fought against his hold. Panic rose in his chest as fresh blood started dripping down her face. "Carter!" His command voice cut through and she stopped struggling instantly.

Sam's eyes finally focused on him as she relaxed her arms, "Sir...? Pete..."

"He's gone," Jack said quietly, slowly letting go of his hold on her wrists, as he picked up his shirt and used it to wiped the fresh blood away.

Sam looked back at him, "I thought he was Daniel," she said shakily, and reached up to her head, cringing at the pain.

Jack gritted his teeth, "I'm sorry, I should've been here." He pushed away the guilt he felt anytime anyone he cared about got hurt, especially her...and tried to focus on her injuries. He took the shirt away from her head to check. "Just relax, it looks like the bleeding stopped but you're going to need some stitches. Janet's on her way now. Stay put, I'm going to get a couple things."

Through the haze, she heard him rooting around in her bathroom and the faucet running. He came back with a damp hand towel, a glass of water and some pills, and took a seat on the edge of the bed, "These might help with the pain; can you sit up?"

With a grunt, Sam slowly scooted herself up against the pillows behind her. She couldn't seem to stop shaking and felt her eyes start to water as she thought of how close she had come to being raped and possibly killed. When Jack tried to hand her the pills he had cupped in his hand, her blurry eyes focused on the gruesome cuts covering his bloody knuckles. He had saved her, again. She took the pills and dropped them on the blanket before taking his hand in hers. Tears fell silently as she picked up the damp towel and began to gently clean his cuts.

"Hey, I'm fine," he said softly, "that's for you." She felt like she was in a trance as she kept dabbing his wounds, her mouth quivering as the tears continued. Jack gently pulled his hand out of hers, put the glass and pills down on the end table and scooted up next to her. "Come here," he whispered hoarsely as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and she slowly dropped her head to rest against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, "I'm sorry Carter," internalizing his anger, "I should've been the one to drive you home."

Sam began wiping away the dampness as her tears subsided, "It's not your fault, it's mine."

Before he had a chance to tell her that she was wrong, they heard the door open downstairs.

"CSPD, call out," an officer yelled.

Jack gave her a squeeze and got off the bed. He went to the bedroom door and yelled for the officer, showing him his identification when he approached. After telling him briefly what happened, and letting him know that a doctor was on the way, he told him he was going to bring Sam to the living room and away from the crime scene.

When Jack walked out, Sam forced herself to look over to where Pete's lifeless body lay. Now that she was sitting up, she could see his face, bruised and swollen with an obvious broken nose. Almost unrecognizable, his eyes and mouth were open eerily. She shivered, pulled the blanket to her neck and looked away.

Jack came back in, "We're going to head downstairs." He saw Sam gripping the blanket, and went to the nearest dresser. Finding a baggy sweatshirt in the third drawer down, he walked back over to her, "Come on Carter, go ahead and put this on," he said gently.

Her face pale and blank, she only fisted the blanket tighter. His stomach clenched and he reached out, placing his hand gently against her face and sweeping his thumb against her wet cheek to bring her out of the hole she had slid into. When she looked at him, he spoke softly, "Sam…can I help you?"

She gave a small nod and shot him that look of unwavering trust. A look that at one time he felt he didn't deserve, but had since grown to love. He held out his hand and she took it, slowly moving herself to the edge of the bed until her feet were touching the ground. Pulling the blanket slowly from her grasp, he took off the remnants of her ripped and bloody shirt, before pulling the sweatshirt over her head. He helped her arms through and lightly brushed away the hair that had gone into her face with his fingers. Then he tossed the hand towel over his shoulder, took her hands in his and helped her to her feet. When Sam stepped forward, she faltered a bit, still obviously a little dizzy. "I've got you," he said softly as he leaned down and picked her up, cradling her to his chest before walking her out to the couch and setting her down gently.

Then he grabbed the blanket that was hanging over her chair, unfolded it and laid it over her. Using the damp towel to blot the blood from the bite mark on her neck, Jack cursed Pete under his breath, suddenly wishing he could kill him twice. Sam's face was blank again as she held tight to the blanket. Jack did his best to soothe her with his voice. "Everything's okay Sam. I'm right here. Janet will be here any minute." He pulled a chair over next to her side of the couch and took her hand in his.

* * *

By the time Janet arrived, Sam had calmed down. Her complexion was no longer ghostly pale and she was drinking water without encouragement. Jack had given her some pain meds and only separated from her when the had to provide their statements to the police. They heard Janet talking about "seeing her patient," and next thing they knew she was bolting around the corner towards them with her medical bag in hand. As she approached the couch, concern creased her face as her eyes gravitated to the gash over Sam's eye.

"I got the bleeding to stop, and gave her some ibuprofen," Jack offered.

Janet sat next to Sam on the couch and hugged her lightly, "I'm so sorry Sam."

"I'm fine," Sam answered and managed a tired smirk, "besides my head feeling like it's going to explode."

Janet gave a small smile and opened up her bag. "Doesn't take a doctor to know what's causing that." She put gloves on and leaned forward to inspect Sam's head. "That's a nasty gash, it's going to need stitches."

"Hey that's what I said," Jack said looking back and forth from Janet to Sam, "didn't I say that?"

Janet smirked, "I guess you missed your calling Colonel."

Jack lifted his eyebrow, using the opportunity to lighten the mood, "You think?"

Janet and Sam glanced at each other and chuckled, before Janet shook her head, "No."

Janet took a look at Sam's neck, and grimaced. She took a vial and syringe out of her bag, "This should help prevent any infection." After she gave the shot, Janet cleaned and bandaged the wound, "We'll have to see how it heals before knowing for sure if it will leave a scar." Sam pushed away the anxiety building at the possibility she would have that visible reminder for the rest of her life, as Janet moved back to Sam's head and cleaned the gash. "Are you feeling any pain anywhere else?" she asked, as she felt the rest of her way around Sam's head. Before Sam could respond, Janet's fingers landed on the massive contusion on the back of her head, and Sam flinched. "That's a big lump Sam, how did that happen?" Sam swallowed hard, "He hit my head against the end table." She glanced at Jack and saw his dark eyes narrow.

Janet had Sam lie down for the stitches, and within twenty minutes, she was applying and securing the small bandage to cover the wound.

Janet moved to Sam's hands, cleaning the tiny cuts that weren't prominent enough to warrant bandaging.

Sam spoke up, "You should check his hands, they're really bad."

Jack took a breath, "I'm fine."

"I'll be the judge of that," Janet said predictably while she may her way over.

She pulled another chair over in front of his and sat down to inspect his hands, wincing.

Janet brought out some disinfectant and began to clean as Jack growled. "Sorry Colonel," she muttered as she finished cleaning before bandaging his knuckles. "Retired," he grunted back.

Before heading to the door, Janet provided some extra bandages, and pain meds for the both of them.

Jack walked Janet to the door. When she stepped over the threshold, he spoke softly, "We're going to head to my place."

Janet nodded, "Probably best to get her away from here." She dug in her bag and handed him a bottle. "If she starts reliving moments from the attack, nightmares, panic attacks, anything like that, these will help calm her down." She gave him a sympathetic smile, and patted his arm, "Call me if you need anything Jack."

Jack thanked her, and then watched as she made her way back to her car. He pocketed the bottle she gave him and headed back to the couch.

* * *

It took another hour before the crime scene was processed and Pete's body was removed by the coroner. As the officers were finishing up, he packed an overnight bag for Sam and they made their way through the door and into the truck. When they were on the road to his place, Sam sat in silence next to him. She was avoiding talking about what happened, a coping mechanism of which he was all too familiar. He wasn't sure what to say, and decided to stick to what she had responded to in the past, which was just being there for her. She would let him know when she was ready to talk.

Once they arrived at his place, he told her to wait in the truck while he got the bags, cold pizza and warm beer inside. Sam gave him a small smile, "That was a nice touch."

"Nothing a fridge and microwave can't fix," He said, returning the gentle smile before heading inside.

When Jack got back to the truck, he helped her out slowly, noticing a wince as she walked forward gingerly. Jack repositioned himself and picked her up swiftly, ignoring her protest. After carrying her inside, he placed her on his bed, "Just rest. Are you hungry?"

"No," she admitted quietly.

"Okay, how about some tea?" he asked lightly.

Sam gave a small smile and nodded, "That would be great." She felt herself concentrating on not ending every sentence with "sir." It was exhausting.

After he left the room to head to the kitchen, Sam scooted herself to the edge of the bed. Flashes of the assault played through her head and she tried desperately to push them from her mind. She was worn out, sore, and exhausted, and was taking a deep breath when Jack walked in.

"Here you go," he said with a gentle smile when he returned and sat next to her.

"Thanks, uh...Jack," she said as she took the mug.

He gave her a knowing smile, "Gonna to take a minute to get used to that eh?"

She smiled in return, "For you too I imagine," she said over her mug as she blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

He looked down at his clasped hands and back up, "Not so much anymore actually. Sam is all I ever called you while you were in the coma."

Sam looked at him and took another sip, "Well, I still can't believe you retired."

"I'm sorry Sam, I should have told you," Jack said quickly. "I don't know why I let Daniel convince me otherwise," he muttered. He looked at her and took a breath, "I just didn't want to get in the way of your recovery." He knew the excuse wasn't good enough, but it was all he had.

Sam gave a small smile, "I guess Daniel called you?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Yeah, he said you were pretty pissed."

Sam nodded, "Oh yes, definitely pissed." She was kind of enjoying watching her tough Colonel squirm in front of her, shuffling his feet uncomfortably, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. But honestly after what she had just been through, and what he had done for her, the whole thing suddenly felt petty and insignificant. It didn't change the fact that at the end of the day, he had retired...for her.

She felt her body warm and smiled at the thought while he looked at her curiously, wondering what had made her smile when he fully expected her to lay into him. Placing her mug on the end table, she turned back to him and met his eyes, "Do you regret it? Retiring?"

Jack looked at her intently, his stomach clenching at the pinnacle moment upon him, "Not even a little. If you're on board with...us...me I mean." He shook his head and let out a short laugh, "you and I," he finished gently. Looking in her eyes intently, he searched for any indication that he had gotten it all wrong and the feelings weren't mutual.

Sam could swear her heart skipped a beat; there it was, finally out of the room and she was speechless.

Jack chuckled nervously at her shocked expression, his smile slowly transitioning into a sincere look as he doubled down, "Sam," he paused as he took her hands in his, "I came too close to losing you on that god forsaken planet. And as soon as it happened I felt like an idiot for not telling you how I really felt, and for letting something like regulations stand in the way of a life together." Jack swallowed heavily, "You need to know that I love you Sam," he said slowly. "Always have…always will."

Her stomach fluttered immediately and she felt her face flush. Hearing those words coming from his mouth was a dream fulfilled and a prayer answered. Suddenly everything else faded from her mind as she looked back at him with love in her eyes. Feeling a catch in her throat, she realized that she didn't just want to kiss him, she needed to. The sound of her heartbeat pounded in her ears and she put her hands on his chest, almost to convince herself that it wasn't all a dream. When she felt his heartbeat quicken under her touch, she smiled, "I love you too Jack," her voice quivered with excitement, "And I'm done waiting. I want you now more than ever."

Jack's heart soared as he leaned into her. He reached out, resting his hand gently against her neck as his thumb caressed her cheek, and paused inches before their lips touched. Jack's voice was low and a bit unsteady, as he checked in with her to see if he was going too fast, easing his conscience, "Sam, I don't want to rush you, it's okay if you're not ready." She smiled softly at him, breathing in his scent, "I've been ready for a very long time." Sam could feel his breath on her lips as he tilted his head down and claimed her mouth with his. A wave of warmth washed over her and she hummed, savoring the taste of his soft lips as their mouths molded together. They stilled for a moment before pulling back slowly from the sensual kiss, taking a moment to breathe from the excitement.

Jack smiled and his lips parted like he was about to say something but Sam wanted more of him. Gripping his shirt with her hands, she pulled him back to her, capturing his mouth hungrily, and swallowing the small shocked sound he made as her tongue entered and swept lightly over his. Jack groaned and recovered quickly. Using both hands to frame her face, his tongue came to life, urgently caressing hers. Sam moaned softly as their tongues danced, uncurling her fists from his shirt and letting her hands roam his hard chest and neck. The fiery kiss had their bodies primed for more and they both seemed to realize how close they were to taking it further, because they finally slowed down, reigning themselves in. As their lips began to glide apart, Sam swept her tongue lightly across his lower lip for a final taste as they separated. Sam smiled, feeling lightheaded and tingly as Jack opened his eyes and looked at her intently, "I think I'm in trouble," he said hoarsely, as the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

Sam let out a shy breathy laugh as she leaned into his embrace. Jack's body was vibrating from the intensity of their kiss, and he concentrated on calming his obvious arousal. Sam glanced up at him and their eyes met. "That was…," she started with a smirk, hesitating slightly to come up with the right word. " _So_ worth retiring," Jack finished with one of his big boyish grins that tickled Sam's insides and made her want to go again. Instead she laughed against his shoulder as her fingertips moved in circles over his chest, feeling the sparse hair underneath his shirt.

Knowing he had to get up before he gave in to his urges, Jack sighed as he shifted from their embrace to holding her hand. The realism of what she'd been through hours ago flooded back and he knew what she really needed right now was a shower and rest. No longer feeling the strain against his jeans, he stood and then bent down, kissing her temple softly, "Well, you should get some rest young lady. I can take the couch." Suddenly wishing he hadn't recently converted his spare bedroom into an office.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said quickly, the thought of being alone suddenly gripping her as the flashes of the assault crept back into her mind. Embarrassed by her vulnerability, she looked down at her hands, "Actually, I was going to ask if you wouldn't mind staying in here with me tonight."

Jack realized immediately that doing so might make her feel safe. He reached out and grasped her hand, "In that case, I'm not going anywhere," he smiled softly, "wild horses and all that..."

Sam smiled gratefully and then looked down again, wondering what he was must be thinking. Seeming to read her mind, Jack tipped her head up gently with his fingertips, and grazed her lips with his. Then he flashed her an encouraging smile, "Why don't you take the bathroom first."

She sighed softly, "Yes, a shower is definitely in order." He helped her get a change of clothes together as she crutched to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Jack decided to grab a couple slices of cold pizza from the kitchen, he was starving. He headed to the living room and ate while he watched the end of a night Cubs game that had tied and gone into extra innings. Thirty minutes later, Jack looked at his watch. He'd been waiting to hear the water turn off...but nothing yet. He thought for a moment, realizing that he had never known Sam to take a thirty-minute shower...not ever. He walked over to the door to the bathroom and listened. There was nothing more than the sound of water, until he heard a sob. Jack's chest tightened instantly as he took hold of the door handle with one hand and knocked with the other, "Sam, are you okay?"

There was no answer, just more faint sobbing. "I'm coming in." Jack entered the bathroom and found Sam, sitting naked in the tub with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her body was shaking and Jack quickly realized that the water cascading down her back was cold. His stomach dropped, "Jesus," he muttered as he quickly turned off the water and grabbed her towel off the sink. "Sam, look at me sweetie," he pleaded, as he wrapped the towel around her and pulled her up into a hug.

Sam gulped air through her sobbing, "It's my fault he's dead, I should've never been with him in the first place. I knew he wasn't good for me and I just let it go on and on, while knowing the whole time, the person I really wanted...was you." Her eyes widened in panic, "And now he's dead...he's dead. Oh my God, and his family... oh, my brother, I have to tell my brother. He's never going to forgive me, never. What did I do?" she blubbered through her tears. He could barely understand her through her chattering teeth.

Jack reached down and picked her up quickly. "God your freezing," he muttered as he carried into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Quickly grabbing a second towel and her clothes from the bathroom, he dried her off the best he could before dressing her in the sweatpants and t-shirt she had picked out earlier. He pulled out one of his heavier sweatshirts from the closet and put it on her for more warmth. Sam's shivering had subsided but the tears continued quietly. It was tearing him up to see her like this, wishing there was some way he could extinguish the pain and hurt she was feeling.

Jack remembered the pills Janet had given him earlier and dug the bottle out of his jeans pocket. He dumped a capsule into his shaky hand and grabbed the now cold tea sitting on the end table. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently lifted her head. With some gentle coaxing, she finally swallowed it before Jack set the mug aside and covered her with the comforter. He slid up next to her and held her, periodically wiping her tears away while he whispered as many soothing things he could think of to help calm her down. Thankfully she finally fell asleep, and once he was sure that she was out, he put new dressings on her wounds and headed to the bathroom.

Jack showered quickly, changed into some sweatpants and a t-shirt, before sliding up next to Sam again. He laid on his back and when his shoulder made contact with hers, she curled into him instinctively, never quite waking up.

* * *

The next morning, Jack woke up first. Careful not to move, he looked down at Sam, who was still curled into him. He thought about the panic attack she had the night before and how much it terrified him. His chest constricted, as the things she said in the shower came flooding back. Realizing that when she talked about knowing Pete wasn't right for her, that he had felt the same way about women he had dated over the recent years. It was obvious to him now how he had let the relationships continue, knowing perfectly well they were never going anywhere. Now gliding his fingertips gently down her back, he almost couldn't believe it finally happened. He finally told her how he felt and even better, she felt the same way. So many times, he had convinced himself that he was too old for her, and set in his ways. That his negative demeanor would stifle her amazing spirit for life. But then he realized that when he was around her, it wasn't him affecting her...it was her affecting him. Even now lying next to her, his chest filled with emotion. He felt younger, happier, and positive about their future together. And he fully intended to spend the rest of his life showing her how much he appreciated, respected, and loved her.

Sam groaned a bit and shifted, her hand going to her bandaged head. She kept her eyes shut and flashes of last night ran through her mind. She didn't remember everything, mostly the cold and desperate feeling, bits and pieces of Jack hovering over her, dressing her. She groaned again, shifting her hand from her head to her eyes, _How_ _embarrassing. What he must think...ugh. After all of this time, we finally get together, and I act like a complete mental case._

Sam opened her eyes slowly and glanced up nervously. Jack was smiling at her, "How're you feeling?"

She groaned for the third time and put her hand on his chest, "Like an idiot."

Jack took his right arm and hugged her against him, "That's one word that will never be true about you sweetheart."

He kissed the top of her head. "I have an idea, how about some coffee and some of my special pancakes." She looked up and he wagged his eyebrows. Sam turned and laughed into his chest before looking back at him. Breakfast sounded great but Sam didn't feel like moving, it felt too good to be in his arms. Her eyes closed and she tried to savor the feeling of his hard chest under her hand, and how safe she felt. She felt her stomach flutter a bit as she toyed with the notion of getting intimate with him.

That's when they heard a pounding on the front door. Sam jumped from the loud noise, and Jack gripped her tight to settle her. _Who the hell would be pounding that loud_ , he thought angrily. "Oh, for crying out loud," he muttered as he got up and looked back at her, "I'll be right back."

Another round of pounding started as Jack quickly walked down the hallway, "Alright, alright, keep your shirt on!" He yanked the door open with a scowl, ready to give whoever it was a piece of his mind, until he found himself face to face with a very pissed off Jacob Carter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard on the smut train. You've been warned.

Jack recovered quickly with a surprised smile, "Hey Dad."

Eyes flaring, Jacob put a hand on Jack's chest and pushed him inside the house, against the wall opposite the door, "Don't 'hey dad' me Jack," his voice shaking with anger, "where is my daughter?!"

"Dad?" Sam was holding on to the door frame of the bedroom; Jack's big sweatshirt handing loosely on her.

"Sammy," Jacob breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to her in long strides before pulling her into a big hug.

"Dad," Sam said softly into his chest, hugging him tightly before pulling back. "What are you doing here?"

"Honey, I just heard what happened and," his face was a mixture of sadness and anger, "Oh God, I'm so sorry Sam." His hands went to her bandages as his anger seeped through again, "I wish that asshole was alive so I could kill him again," he said through clenched teeth.

"I'm okay Dad, really," Sam fought back the building tears and looked down before hugging him again, "thanks to Jack," she added.

Jacob exhaled a breath and turned his head towards Jack who had already closed the front door and was leaning against the door jamb with his arms and ankles crossed; wearing a sympathetic smile as he watched the reunion.

"Sorry Jack," Jacob said gruffly, "I was just..."

Jack shook his head and dismissed him with a lazy wave, "No need Jacob."

Jacob nodded and tightened his hug on Sam while looking over her shoulder into the bedroom. Just now noticing the messy bed and slowly putting two and two together.

Jack saw Jacob's body tense and then followed his line of sight into the bedroom. His eyes widened as he came off the wall and raised a hand, "Now Jacob..."

Jacob turned to him glaring, his jaw clenched, "Please tell me you slept on the couch."

"Dad!" Clearly annoyed, Sam tapped his chest to get his attention, "it's none of your business _who_ I sleep with," she said defensively.

Jacob whipped his head back to glare at Jack who cringed at the wording, internalizing his "D'oh!"

Jack shook his head emphatically, "Jacob, nothing happened. We were just..."

Jacob threw up a hand, "Ah! I don't want to know!" He took a deep breath trying to calm down; closing his eyes and dipping his head. When he raised his head back up, his eyes opened and flashed a golden yellow. His eyes stared between Sam and Jack, as Selmak's calm deep voice came through. "I apologize for Jacob, he has been extremely upset since this morning when General Hammond briefed him on your attack. I've tried to help calm him, but I have found it difficult to control my emotions as well after hearing about the violation. We care about both of you a great deal."

Sam smiled gratefully, "Thank you Selmak for being there for Dad. I know it had to have been hard for him to hear about what happened. We care about you too," Selmak gave a quaint smile and nodded. Her eyes flashed again, bringing Jacob back through. The transfer must have helped because he seemed much calmer, and gave her a small smile, framing her face with his hands. "I've missed you kiddo."

"Missed you too Dad. How long can you stay?"

He kissed her forehead before dropping his hands and sighing, "Unfortunately not long, George has a car waiting for me. I just had to see you, even if it was only to make sure you were okay."

Jack smirked and thumbed over towards the kitchen, "Well, why don't you both have a seat, I'm going to make some coffee."

Sam used the restroom while Jacob went to the dining room table and sat down. Jack started the coffee in the kitchen and then sat down opposite of Jacob; waiting for it to brew.

Jack's fingers drummed the table as he looked up at Jacob. He cleared his throat uncomfortably when he saw Jacob looking at him so hard, he thought he was going to bore a hole right through him.

Jacob spoke first, choosing his words carefully, "So, you retired huh?"

Jack exhaled a breath, realizing Jacob had probably heard everything from the General, including the reasoning behind his early retirement. "I know you don't approve Jacob, but when I almost lost her...I couldn't ignore my feelings for her any longer."

Jacob looked down, "Jack, I don't know if I'll ever feel like anyone is truly good enough for my daughter." He looked back up at him, seeming to accept the circumstances, "But at least I know you'll protect her and treat her with the respect she deserves."

Jack nodded, "I love her Jacob."

Jacob gave him a stern look, "You better."

Sam walked into the room and saw her father's serious expression, "What's going on?"

Jack stood up and offered her his seat, "Oh you know, just a little father/son chat," he said with a wink. "Have a seat, I'll grab the coffee."

Sam sat down and met her dad's eyes. Jacob leaned over and took her hand, talking low so only she could hear. "Is this what you want Sam?"

Sam smiled, nodding her head as she squeezed his hand, "I love him dad." Jacob chuckled lightly and shook his head, clearly giving in as Jack came back with mugs of coffee.

Jacob smirked, "Selmack is insisting that I drink it."

Jack huffed a laughed, "Smart gal." He put his arm around Sam's shoulders and gave her a squeeze, "Why don't you kids chat, I'm going to make some pancakes."

When Jack walked away, Jacob took a sip and spoke, "Sam I can't tell you how sorry I am that I wasn't there for you when you were shot. George said he had put out an alert, but I was working undercover at the time, and the High Counsel wouldn't risk the mission to get me the message."

"It's okay Dad, I made it through alright," Sam said confidently before taking her own sip.

"Well I brought a healing device, and it looks like it's a good thing I did." He reached into his pocket, pulled out the device and put it on his hand. "Come on, let's have you lie down for this." They walked to the living room couch and Sam laid down while Jacob pulled a chair over. Sam took off her bandages and closed her eyes while Jacob positioned the device over her. He closed his eyes and the device glowed while her wounds began to heal. A short time later he stopped and Sam opened her eyes, feeling her head as she sat up slowly. "Thanks Dad," she said gratefully as her hand moved hesitantly to her neck, grazing over the smooth skin while she let out a sigh of relief

"I wish it could heal everything kiddo," he said with a sad smile. Sam nodded slowly, "I'll be okay."

Remembering the state of Jack's hands, she asked Jacob to heal him as well. Jacob smirked and called him into the room. Jack tried protesting until he considered the dangerous look Jacob was giving him, and thought better of it. When Jacob was finished, he sighed, "I wish I could stay longer, but the High Counsel is demanding a debrief from the last operation. I had to fight tooth and nail to see you as it was."

After standing up he pulled Sam into another hug before she walked him to the door. She looked up at him, "Thanks for coming Dad, I love you." Jacob turned to her and kissed her on the forehead, "Love you too sweetie." Jack came up from behind Sam and Jacob stuck out his hand to him, "Take care of her Jack."

Jack shook his hand firmly and nodded, "Always," before Jacob turned and headed to the government car waiting for him in the driveway.

Once Sam had waved goodbye and closed the door, she turned to Jack and leaned into his waiting arms. Jack leaned back and grazed his fingers lightly over her head and neck, flashing a lopsided smile, "Gotta love alien technology."

She smirked, "It does have its perks." She looked down at her legs, "Wish it gave me all my strength back as well."

Jack nodded, "Well, you're almost there."

Sam smiled, "That's true, I'm feeling stronger everyday. I'm pretty much only using the crutches for steps now." She put her hand on the wall next to them, "I figured while I'm inside the house, I could just use the walls and doorways if I need any extra support."

Jack offered her the crook of his arm and wagged his eyebrows, "And me, you forgot about me."

Sam shook her head and giggled.

* * *

They were finishing up breakfast when Sam hummed, "Mmm, really good."

"See, told ya," Jack smiled wide as he popped another fork full of pancake in his mouth.

Sam watched Jack eat the last few bites on his plate, her focus drifting to his mouth and remembering the kisses from the night before. Remembering his soft lips gliding over hers, the way he tasted, his moan. She blushed and Jack noticed. But when he gave her a confused look, Sam eyed a bit of syrup at the corner of his mouth and stood up. He swallowed the last bite of pancake hard when he saw the dark sultry look on her face. Sam bent down slowly in front of him, cupped his chin in her hand, and leaned in. Jack's heart pounded as he watched Sam's mouth close in on him until they were a breath apart. Then she paused, gazing into his eyes as she used her tongue to drag the bit of syrup from the corner of his mouth slowly across his bottom lip, before taking the lip into her mouth with a sexy moan. Their eyes closed as the warmth cascaded over them.

She invaded all of his senses with the feeling of her soft lips, wet tongue and sweet syrupy taste. Jack came alive with a hungry grunt, cradling her face with both hands, and deepening the kiss; passionately devouring her lips and tongue as he stood them up. Sam's stomach fluttered. There was the intensity she had fallen in love with. The power and fierceness she had seen in action on the battlefield, and had dreamt about for years in her bed, was right there…kissing her, loving her. A hot flash of desire flowed through her and she felt something inside of her awaken. Grabbing his ass, she pulled him against her hard, and let out a needy growl that vibrated their lips as she swept her hands up the length of his body. Dragging her fingertips up the back of his neck, she ran them through his hair before grazing his scalp with her nails. Jack's moan was swallowed as her tongue swept over his possessively. And that's when he noticed that he wasn't just hard, he was throbbing. When they finally pulled away from each other, their breathing was fast and erratic. Jack looked at her, his eyes dark with want.

She took one of his hands in hers and took a step toward the bedroom before Jack pulled her back into his arms. His voice was strained and thick, "Sam, there's no pressure here. All we have is time, and I'm not going anywhere."

She didn't think she could want him more, until then. Her eyes glinted, as the corners of her mouth curved up in a small smile, "I know and I love you for that." Then the smile suddenly disappeared and only her fiery stare remained, "But I've been wanting this for a long time." She grasped his face in her hands, "And I want you Jack...right…now."

Sam kissed him hard with a desperate intensity, and something just a little dark and reckless; it was sucking him in like a black hole. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Jack swallowed her urgency and let it wash over him…consume him. He had experienced a passionate and rebellious side of Sam. Had seen it first hand during times of defiance against an enemy, or when she rebelled against orders she refused to follow. But this was a different. It was raw, unapologetic, and erotic as hell; and he absolutely loved it. 

With a growl, he bent down and grabbed her ass, picking her up. Sam's mouth left his as she let out a wanton gasp. Wrapping her legs immediately around his waist, she rolled her hips to grind her heat against him. He groaned, realizing it was going to take every ounce of control he had to not take her right there. She was back on his mouth with reckless abandon, nibbling, licking, and sucking on his tongue as she continued to grind against him. Jack managed to walk the couple of steps to the dining room wall, pushing them against it. Her legs were so tightly wound around him that she was supporting herself, and he braced his hands against the wall, meeting her thrust for thrust. He broke his mouth away from hers and curved his head around to the side of her neck, raking his tongue up to the spot behind her ear and suckling her perfectly smooth skin. A deep moan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes and leaned into his mouth; while her hands moved over him frantically, her nails digging into the back of his neck and shoulders.

On his next thrust, Jack stopped suddenly, pressing into her so hard she could barely move. When he felt a rush of warmth against his length, he realized that she was so wet, she had soaked through her underwear and sweatpants. The realization hit him like a tsunami, and he almost came right then. When her confused eyes met his, the corners of his mouth rose up, "God you're so wet," his voice ragged. Sam gave him a deadly smile and used her hips to push her ass off the wall, allowing a short thrust into him, "And you're so hard." Jack groaned again through clenched teeth, and a hissed curse followed as he grabbed her ass and made his way quickly to the bedroom.

He crawled onto the bed with her still latched onto him and heard a deep giggle in the back of her throat, followed by a gasp when his knees dropped back and he thrusted against her opening. "Oh Jack," she moaned breathily, arching her back and lifting her hips. He was forced to still himself, the sound of his name rolling off her tongue breathlessly had brought him to the brink again. Pushing himself off of her, he sat back on his haunches and pulled off his t-shirt hurriedly, throwing it aside. Sam had already leaned up and was discarding her own shirt and sweatshirt, as he leaned back over her, kissing her newly revealed skin below her bra. She squirmed under him, reaching for the clasp, while he used one of his hands to pull down his sweatpants and boxers. After switching hands and pulling down the other side, he managed to shuffle his legs and free himself of the offensive clothing. His mouth was on her stomach now, nipping and licking his way over her navel. Hearing a frustrated moan from Sam, he snuck a hand behind her back, and brushed away her shaky hands, before releasing the clasp with a twist of his fingers. Hearing her let out a cry of relief, Jack chuckled against her skin as he saw her bra sail through the air.

The sight of her flushed breasts and taut nipples took his breath away and he licked his way up her cleavage. "So beautiful," he said gruffly before sweeping one of her hard pink peaks into his mouth with a hum. Sam moaned, arching against his mouth as he circled the nub with his flattened tongue. Leaning on his forearm, he used his other hand to massage her other heavy breast, pinching the nub lightly between his thumb and forefinger before grazing his fingertips down her chest and stomach, towards her center. Sam's skin was tingling with desire and everywhere he touched ignited fires within her. As his fingers headed down to her heat, the thought of those long skilled fingers touching her made her shudder and arch against him. Jack moved his legs to the outside of hers and leaned up to give attention to her other nipple, as his fingers snuck underneath her waistband. "Oh fuck," he groaned against her nipple, when his fingers slipped into her soaking folds. She moaned and bucked against his hand with a gasp when a finger grazed her clit. One more touch like that and she was going to come.

Sam grabbed the wrist of his hand so hard and fast, he thought he had done something wrong and looked up at her. Her pupils were blown wide with unbridled lust and her breath was ragged, "I need you inside me Jack, now." Jack grunted, feeling his shaft twitch and drip as he pushed himself back. He grabbed her waistband and Sam lifted her hips, allowing him to pull the clothing down and off in one fell swoop. Jack was in between her legs the next instant as Sam opened wide for him. She looked at his impressively long, hard shaft and bit her bottom lip as Jack leaned over her and used his hand to guide himself to her glistening opening. As he began pushing the head in, he realized exactly how tight she was and felt his body shake with anticipation. Sam groaned and Jack swore. _So fucking wet_. Afraid he was going to come before he could get completely inside of her, he paused once his head had breached her lips; then waited until the feeling subsided and slid in further. Sam moaned, "Oh God," feeling herself stretch to accommodate him.

The urgency to feel all of him overwhelmed her, and unable to wait any longer, she thrusted her hips up, and buried him inside of her. "Christ Sam," he groaned. She gasped and cursed as a fissure of electricity shot through her spine. He used to imagine their first time being slow and sensual, but all of that went out the window. It was all too much. The warm, tight, and wet sensations, the years of waiting, the look on her face...and he felt the strong pull in his groin telling him that he was close. When he started thrusting, Sam wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips, taking in all of him. "Shit," he gasped he started plunging into her hard and fast, until he could feel her start to quiver around him. "Come with me Sam," he grunted. Their eyes met, and on the next hard thrust she shattered apart yelling his name. Her legs shook and her body bucked against him, as her walls gripped his length hard inside of her.

Feeling her walls shudder around him was all it took, and it sent him careening over the edge. With a loud moan, he buried himself inside of her and came hard. His body shook violently as short thrusts had him emptying into her over and over again. The waves of pleasure washed over him relentlessly, and when he finally stilled inside of her, he took in the sight in front of him. He'd never seen anything so beautiful. Her entire body was flushed a soft pink, her eyes were attentive but a bit glazed over, her lips swollen and her facial expression looked almost angelic. He would have felt pretty proud of himself if he wasn't so sated in his own right. Finding himself partially collapsed on her, he used his last ounce of strength to roll to the side of her. As soon as he was on his back, she tucked into him, her head resting on his chest and a thigh draped over his. Their heavy breathing filled the room and his eyes closed for a moment.

Sam was a bit lightheaded and her legs were still trembling when she curled against him; she had never come so hard in her life. Even in her dreams it hadn't been that good, and she found herself suddenly grateful that they had never slipped up while under the thumb of military regulations. Knowing she would have never been able to stop having sex with him, not after that. Looking up at him, she wondered and hoped it was as good for him as it was for her. Only to find his eyes closed, hair disheveled and his mouth slightly open. They looked like pretty good signs to her and she couldn't help but giggle.

The sound jolted him out of semi-consciousness and his eyes met hers. The corners of his mouth rose into a smile, "No giggling," he said lazily. He shook his head slowly, "Holy hell, if I knew then what I know now, I would've retired years ago."

Sam laughed into his chest, "I was just thinking how the regulations probably saved us, because I would never have been able to give you up."

He perked an eyebrow up, "Oh yeah? Nice."

"Yes, yes it was…I just hope I didn't come on too strong," She bit her lip nervously.

Jack pulled her against him, "Are you kidding? That was amazing, you're amazing."

Sam looked up at him, and gave him a look like she was deciding whether or not to believe him.

Jack put his hand against her face, "Sam, I'm serious. Experiencing that part of you was a gift. An unbelievably sexy gift," He grinned before sobering again, grazing her bottom lip with his thumb, "Never hold back on me…I want all of you."

Sam smiled and leaned her face into his for a kiss, before nuzzling into his neck, "Don't worry, if I bring out the whips and chains, we'll be sure to choose a safe word."

It was almost cartoon-like how wide his eyes got. Sam laughed hysterically.

* * *

A good three hour nap later, they finally decided to get cleaned up. Jack went first, before heading to the kitchen to wash up the breakfast dishes and put on some more coffee. After their little nap, they were both craving it. Sam took her turn in the bathroom and soon after he heard her padded feet on the floor as she walked into the kitchen. She came up behind him and put her arms around his waist. He felt her breasts press against his back as her hands slid up under the front of his shirt to caress his toned chest. She kissed the side of his neck drinking in his scent and earning a deep groan. Jack chuckled lightly as he picked up a nearby mug and turned into her arms, "Keep that up and we'll be in bed all day."

"Promise?" She said with a smirk.

Jack slid his left hand against her neck and kissed her passionately. She hummed, feeling some slight stirring, amazed at what he could do to her with just a kiss. Jack seemed to pull away reluctantly, before leaning back and handing her the mug, "Your coffee madam."

Sam smiled, a gleam in her eye as she took it with pleasure, "Why thank you kind sir."

Jack's eyes narrowed, the honorific suddenly taking on a whole new meaning for him.

Sam's eyebrow lifted at his dark look and she let that information swirl around in her head. Jack watched her intently, feeling his body react as she gave him a knowing glance. Her lips curled into a dangerous smile and she looked at him over her mug as she took her first sip of coffee.

Jack's phone rang, pulling them both out of the haze.

Perturbed by the intrusion, he huffed and answered in his usual curt tone, "O'Neill."

"Hey Jack," Daniel's concerned voice came over the line, "just calling to see how Sam's doing."

Realizing that since he never got around to calling him the night before, Janet had probably filled him in. Jack looked at Sam who was wiping down the counter, "umm, she's fine," he said into the phone before Sam shot him a confused look. He covered the receiver and whispered, "Space Monkey," rolling his eyes before continuing to listen. Sam covered her mouth and giggled.

"Are you sure Jack, I mean after everything that's happened? She's been through so much, and I never got the chance to apologize. Maybe we could have a team night like old times, what do you think? I mean, I don't want to crowd her either. I was just thinking that a team night might be a nice distraction and cheer her up you know?"

Jack smirked, "Yeah sure," he said as he glanced up at Sam who look at him questioningly.

"Great, Teal'c and I will bring some pizza and a movie and I'm sure you have beer already, so we'll stop by tonight at six okay? And don't tell her, we'll make it a surprise," he insisted.

Jack rolled his eyes again, "Sure thing, bye Danny," and hung up before Daniel could say anything else.

"What was that all about?" Sam asked as she poured another mug of coffee for him.

Jack took the mug and kissed her, "Daniel and Teal'c are coming over at six for a surprise team night with pizza and a movie," he said nonchalantly as he took a sip.

Sam snickered, "A surprise huh?"

"Yep," he held the crook of his arm out for her again, and grinned wickedly, "surprise!"

They walked out the sliding glass doors and sat down in the Adirondack chairs on the deck. It was a beautiful day and they sat for a couple of moments in comfortable silence before Jack reached out for Sam's hand. He interlaced his fingers with hers and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it, "This is great but the cabin would better."

Sam smirked at him and then glanced out at the wooded backyard, "For what, fishing? Because I think we have that down pretty well."

Jack looked surprised and a bit embarrassed, "So you got that huh?"

Sam chuckled and her face flushed, "Well, it's what I hoped you meant."

He looked down, "Well not at first, but…" he shrugged. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, thinking he should get something off his chest while they were baring all, "I do have a confession however."

Sam thought for a moment and gave him a sideways glance, "Does it have anything to do with the time loop?"

His eyes bugged out this time, "Hey, how did you know about that?"

She laughed, "Seriously? The way you looked at me afterwards made it pretty obvious _something_ happened." She paused, and then squinted at him, "We didn't...?"

Jack shook his head, "No, no, nothing like that, but uh, we did kiss," he cringed and waited nervously for her response.

Her mouth dropped, "Really? And how did you manage that?"

Jack described to her how he had timed it perfectly, handing Hammond the resignation, and dipping her for the kiss.

She shook her head in disbelief and put her free hand over her big grin, "Oh my God, in front of the General?"

He chuckled, "Yep, ol' George was in shock, just stood there with his mouth open."

"And how did I react?" she asked, her eyebrows raised curiously.

Jack grinned and shrugged, "Well, you didn't seem to mind."

She laughed, "I bet..."

Jack went to kitchen to drop off the mugs, only to come back and see that Sam had drifted off somewhere. Her face was blank as she stared straight ahead, not seeming to hear him even come out.

"Hey," he touched her shoulder and she jumped.

Sam looked up at him wide-eyed, and then realizing it was him, let out a breath, "Sorry, I just can't stop thinking about…everything."

"Sam," Jack sighed as he sat back down, "You know what I think?" Sam looked at him and he continued, "I think you haven't given yourself time to process and grieve." He looked down at his hands guiltily, "And I haven't been helping."

She gave a small smile at his thoughtfulness and got up, moved in front of him, and sat on his lap; putting her legs over the side of his chair. He put her arms around her as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Well I think, you're the only thing that's keeping me sane." Sam said quietly as she ran her hand up and down his forearm, "It just feels like every time I'm not distracted with something; it pushes through every other thought."

They sat in silence for a moment before Jack spoke, "I have an idea. Why don't we put in a little more vacation time and go to the cabin? It's peaceful and it's always helped me in the past when I've needed time to heal." He squeezed her as she looked at him, "Maybe it'll help you too."

Sam was quiet, before she spoke up, "Will there be fishing?"

Jack looked at her serious face as it caved into a smile.

He laughed, "Yes ma'am, as much fishing as you want. How about I make some calls and we can head out tomorrow?"

She looked down realizing that meant they would have to go back to her house. "I'll need some more clothes." An obvious look of dread crossed her face.

"I can get them for you," Jack offered.

She thought for a moment, "No, I should go. I'll have to go back eventually." She took a breath and muttered, "Even if it is just to sell the place."

"First thing's first. I'll make some calls to secure our leave. Then we'll head over for the clothes and be back in time for your surprise," Jack used air quotes for the word surprise.

Sam nodded in agreement, gave him a kiss, and then got off of his lap so she could take a seat back in her own chair.

Jack stepped back inside and after a few moments, Sam could hear his faint voice as he spoke on the phone.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. And just like before, the dread rushed back as she thought about going back to the house. Flashes of Pete flowed through her mind and she felt herself re-living the attack. Felt him hitting her again; wincing from the pain as his teeth sunk into her skin. She felt the panic building as he ripped her shirt open and sneered at her, telling her it wouldn't take long. Her throat tightened and her pulse raced as tears sprung to her eyes. She did her best to calm herself down and breathe. _It's just a house._ The scientist side of her tried to downplay the situation, while the soldier side kept it real. _Yeah, a house where your crazed lunatic of an ex-boyfriend came in, tried to rape and kill you, before your new boyfriend and ex-CO killed him. "_ Holy Hannah," she groaned aloud and tried desperately to push it out of her mind.

Think of something good she told herself. Something good. She took a couple of deep breaths and let them out. Then she thought about this morning, and the amazing sex they'd had. She sighed, and her fingers glided along her lips as felt herself getting warm. She had absolutely never had it that good. Her face flushed remembering how loud she'd been. The thoughts about what she wanted to do to him next had some dampness forming. Another distraction would be nice, she thought with a grin, as she got up slowly and made her way through the sliding glass door.

Jack was on the couch talking when she came in. His eyebrows came together in concern when he saw her grabbing onto the wall for support as she climbed the stairs back inside, and he made his way to her as he spoke, "No problem General, I'll take care of that when I get back." He offered his arm and she took it, more because he offered then out of necessity. They headed back to the couch, and Jack sat to the right of her. "Yes sir," Jack said, obviously listening now. Sam hitched her legs up under herself and scooted closer to him. He glanced at her and smiled, offering up another "Yes sir" to the General. Her hand rested on his knee and then she began to trail it up his thigh slowly, coming to rest where his thigh ended. She looked up and saw him staring at her intently. She flashed him a seductive smile before sliding her hand to his groin. Jack jumped and cleared his throat as she began rubbing him through his jeans, feeling him grow hard, fast. "Ummm, yessir," he stumbled as Sam stood up in front of him and removed her sweatshirt and bra. Jack's mouth dropped open as she took off her jeans and panties, now standing in front of him entirely naked. "General...I have to get going sir, can we talk about this... next week?"

Jack's breathing quickened as Sam bent over and unbuttoned his pants slowly. She grabbed his legs behind his knees and pulled his lower body forward quickly. His voice faltered and Hammond must've asked him if he was alright because he answered, "No I'm fine sir, just... really have to get going." Sam pulled at his waist and he lifted his hips so she could get his pants and boxers off. She knelt down in front of him and stared as his big shaft sprung tight against his stomach, licking her lips. "Yessir, she's fine," he said, eyes widened. Sam noticed the hitch and slight panic in his voice and smiled; loving the control she was having over him. She leaned forward and licked big lazy circles around his tight sack until she found her first prize. She took it into her mouth. "I'll let her know," Jack yelled and hung up on the General quickly. "Jesus Sam," he groaned loudly as his head fell back against the top cushion.

She gently sucked on it before swirling her tongue around it slowly, earning another groan and a twitch of his shaft. "Is this okay sir?" Jack's head came up and his eyes latched onto hers; his dark look making her stomach clench with excitement. She heard a deep noise vibrate from his chest as he gave her a short nod, catching on to her game. She moved to the other, giving it the same attention, humming while sucking gently. When she let go of it, she gave him a lustful look, "Permission to lick your big hard cock sir?" She saw his jaw clench and earned another twitch as he grunted, "Granted Major." Struggling to hold back a smile, she realized she was enjoying this way too much. Watching his face closely, Sam started at the base of his sack and licked her way up the length of him slowly. As she reached the top, she noticed a drip had leaked out and covered the broad head with her warm mouth, sucking and swallowing hungrily. Damn he tasted good.

Jack's shaft jumped and he groaned a warning, like an order through clenched teeth, "Carter." She sucked in sharply as a flush of heat raced through her body. If there was a way to make her instantly wet, he had found it. Now she yearned to hear him say her name again, just like that. She stood up dutifully and straddled his lap, before lifting his shirt off and tossing it aside. His expression was command-like; and the intensity of it made her toes curl. She leaned in and kissed him gently, testing the waters. Jack's eyes gleamed wickedly before he grabbed her ass and pulled her against his hardened shaft with a grunt. He ran his tongue possessively up the side of her neck, sucking on her lobe and nipping her behind her ear. Sam gasped as he moved to the other side, this time grazing his teeth against her lobe as he released it.

His attention went to her beautiful breasts in front of his face. Jack grunted and used his long tongue to trail a blaze of fire up through her cleavage. "Mmm, _my_ Major," he growled against her skin. It was Sam's turn to moan as he ground her against him while making love to her breasts; licking, kissing, blowing, and swirling his tongue around one nipple before switching to the other. She was so wet she felt like she was dripping, and ached to feel him inside of her. "Request permission to fuck you sir," she gasped. Jack let out a low moan and let go of her nipple with a pop, "Permission fucking granted Carter." Sam immediately reached down with her hand, grabbed his throbbing length, and lifted her hips. She put the head against her slick folds and rubbed it back and forth against her, covering him with her juices and earning groans from both of them.

Then she dropped her weight on him, hard and fast. "Ah Shit!" his teeth clenched together as his hips came off the couch and he held her ass still to stop her from moving. His eyes narrowed to tense slits as Sam felt him jerk inside of her. She groaned and bit her bottom lip, Lord he was big. She spread her knees wider, dropping even further onto him. Sighing loudly, her eyes narrowed, "Oh sir," she moaned shakily. His grip on her ass was tight as she bent down and kissed him slow, her tongue tracing his bottom lip before taking it into her mouth. Their eyes met and he moved his hands to her face as they separated, "God you turn me on Carter," he said gruffly. Sam blushed and started to move.

Her upper body stayed still while she rolled her hips and ass up and down on him slowly. Jack licked his bottom lip and his mouth opened slightly while he watched her; his expression looking dangerous. His hands went to move back to her ass, but Sam grabbed his wrists and pushed them back over his head. "Allow me Colonel," she purred as she lightly trapped them with her hands and curled her fingers around the edge of the couch for more leverage; pleased to see he was going to play along. Sam rocked against him expertly, twisting her hips to grind down on him; feeling his big shaft fill her tight and wet canal. "Fuck Carter," Jack grunted as an intense heat washed over her, making her stomach clench with a need to go faster.

Leaning back and then forward, she rocked onto her toes and starting pumping hard and fast. The long fast strokes were powerful and intense while the angle was just right to graze her clit on each pass; she could feel herself getting close. When she felt Jack's arms flex and saw the tight look on his face, she realized quickly that he was even closer, "Come inside me sir, please," she urged. Jack groaned her name roughly as he felt the hot rush of sensation coiling, "Carter..." she felt his body stiffen while his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw locked tight. She kept pumping hard and clenched her walls tight around him. Jack let out a loud moan through his teeth as his legs quivered beneath her, and his eyes slammed shut as he released into her over and over again. Sam groaned, feeling him pulse inside of her.

When he opened his eyes, she felt his arms and legs begin to relax...and now a heavy breathing and determined looking Colonel was fixated on her. That look, paired with watching him come so hard was pushing her over the edge, and she let go of the couch to hug Jack tightly, feeling the familiar stirring creeping up fast. "Please make me come sir," she breathed desperately into his neck. Jack moved his strong forearms underneath her thighs and wrapped his hands around her ass, lifting her up against him with a smirk, his voice rumbled, "Hold on tight Major." She could feel his chest and arms tighten as he held her still and lifted his hips fast, thrusting his hard shaft up into her. Sam gasped and her eyes closed at the building ecstasy as he angled her hips back and hit her sweet spot with the hard, quick strokes. She felt the white hot flashes in her core and her body tightened. Sam came with a yell, her body shaking in his arms as Jack continued to thrust, intensifying and lengthening her orgasm. As he felt her start to relax, he set her down slowly and hugged her tightly back, "C'mere Carter," he breathed roughly into her ear as his short grinding thrusts became less and less. He rubbed her back soothingly as they stopped with him still inside of her.

Both were breathing heavily, and Sam loosened her hug but stayed where she was, resting against his shoulder.

"You're going to be the death of me woman," Jack huffed with a laugh.

Sam chuckled lazily, "Sorry, I was getting wet thinking about this morning and couldn't help myself."

Jack smirked and raised his eyebrows as his breathing finally began to slow, "Don't you dare apologize...damn that was hot."

It was a moment before either one of them spoke, both of them once again, pleasantly sated.

"So, what did the General say?" she asked curiously.

"Some stuff about paperwork and... honestly, I don't remember anything after the point when you started rubbing me through my jeans."

She laughed and put her forehead against his, "Well I'm going to need another shower."

"Sounds like fun," he smiled wickedly.

Sam got up and stepped to the end of the couch before looking back at him, "Well come on Flyboy."

He got up quickly and came up behind her fast, sweeping her up in his arms, "Yes ma'am!"

She squealed in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck as he headed to the bathroom, "Ooh, I could get used to this"


	6. Chapter 6

Once inside the shower, Sam leaned her head back to wet her hair in the stream as Jack soaped up his hands and began washing her chest; slowly and lightly massaging her breasts. Sam braced her hands on the sides of the shower and closed her eyes, enjoying the wonderful sensation. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?" he asked. When Sam opened her eyes, she expected him to be smiling, and smirking in his usual joking manner. But his face was serious and it was as if his warm chocolate eyes were looking right through to her soul. Immediately the butterflies in her stomach erupted, as one of his hands went to the wall behind her while the other went to the side of her neck. He leaned in and kissed her slowly in the water stream. She wrapped her arms around him, enjoying his lips moving over hers effortlessly. His taste invaded her wet mouth as his tongue slowly crept through her parted lips, and swept against hers with a low moan. She let his tongue lead hers as they danced in her mouth erotically.

Jack's hand moved from the wall, and the length of his fingers curved around her neck. As the kissing continued, Sam felt his warm hand glide down the side of her neck, then across to her shoulder and down her arm. His fingers retraced the path back up to her neck and then down the front of her. The way his hand splayed against her softly as he moved it down her breasts and across her stomach, reminded her of someone reading braille; as if he was committing every inch of her to memory. Her whimper was swallowed as the sensual movements hit her full force. She felt the familiar heat pooling in her center, and realized she was getting wet again.

That's when she felt his shaft make contact with her hip. She opened her eyes and watched it grow and harden, surprised and pleased at his recovery time. Jack chuckled, "I'm just as surprised as you are." Her mouth watered and she wanted nothing more than to taste him. Gripping his shoulders, she turned them, putting his back against the water as she got the soap. When her hands were thickly lathered, she took his shaft into her right hand and started to slowly stroke it. Jack groaned and put his head against her neck, kissing it, as her left hand massaged his tight sack. He looked up at her, "That feels amazing and if we hadn't already finished, I would be a goner right now." Sam smiled and gave him a wink, "I don't know what you mean, I'm just washing you."

Sam moved her left hand to his shaft, now stroking with both hands, twisting her wrists slowly. Leaning into his chest, she ran her tongue up and around his nipples. Jack closed his eyes and moaned feeling a faint tug in his groin, as he took his turn bracing his hands on either side of the shower walls. He leaned his head back into the spray enjoying the amazing massage. Sam took her time, pouring the body wash directly onto his length with her left hand while she kept stroking with the right. Using her hands to massage the soap into lather before going back to using both hands again. The stroking lengthened, now incorporating the broad head as well. Jack grunted when he felt the familiar pulling, and his eyes shot open, "Holy…," he mumbled. He couldn't believe he was actually feeling like he might be able to come again.

He grabbed the walls tighter as Sam smiled and then lightly pushed him back a step. When the water stream made contact with his hardened arousal, she stroked the water over him, washing him clean. By the time Sam went to her knees, the soap was completely gone. The realization of what she was going to do next made Jack curse under his breath. She moved her left hand back down to massage his sack and encircled her fingers around the base of his shaft as it twitched in her hand. Putting her hot mouth around the top of him, she swirled her tongue around the head and then dropped her mouth onto his length, taking in as much as she could, moaning and humming hungrily. "Oh shit," Jack panted as she started stroking him with her hand and mouth at the same time, each time sucking the head. He gasped, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Sam, wait, I think I'm close." Sam removed her hands completely, stroking him only with her mouth as she reached for his hands. She took them and placed them on the back of her head, encouraging him to take over.

"Sam," he groaned. Sam felt his hips begin to rock and stopped moving, letting him dictate the pace with control of her head; trusting him to not go too far too fast. His breathing got loud and ragged as he started to quiver, "Are you sure?" Sam hummed and sunk her nails into his ass for affirmation. Jack thrusted into her mouth, his breaths quickening until he grunted, "God...," before Sam felt the liquid hit the back of her tongue. She concentrated on opening the back of her throat, and Jack let go of her head, re-establishing his hold on the wall as his body shook hard. As soon as his hands left her head, Sam had starting moving her mouth over him again, sucking and swallowing as his long moan echoed off the shower walls. When he stopped coming, she continued with long slow strokes before swirling her tongue around his head gently, until she felt him start to soften.

Standing up, she met his narrowed eyes. "You taste yummy," she smiled as she kissed his chest. He managed a sated smile, "Noone's ever…," he shook his head and closed his eyes, "that was…unbelievable."

Picking up the soap, she lathered her hands and began washing him. Jack's eyes stayed closed, sighing as her soapy hands caressed him. Sam enjoyed exploring his body with her hands without being under his watchful gaze. Gliding the soap over his toned shoulders and arms, his tight chest and his taut stomach. She took her time, tracing each scar with her fingertips as she came upon them. Squatting down, she moved to his groin, legs, and feet, re-lathering as she went, before standing back up and hugging him to reach around to his neck, back and that sexy tight ass. When her hands made her way back around his neck to his chest, she found him staring at her intently. She smiled, "I thought you might've fallen asleep."

He shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning up gently, "Just utterly relaxed."

He took her face in his hands, and stared at her lovingly, "You know I can't remember a time when I've felt so calm…so happy, thanks to you." Jack leaned forward and gave her a slow kiss. Sam's heart fluttered at his openness and she felt tears spring to her eyes. When he pulled back to look at her, he frowned, "Hey, what's wrong." She shook her head and gave a small smile, "I'm just so grateful to have you now…I love you so much."

"So, a happy cry then?" He smiled.

Sam nodded, laughing through her tears and leaning into his arms.

He hugged her tightly and tucked his face into her neck, his voice rumbling against her ear, "I love you too Sam."

As the water changed from hot to warm, Jack finished washing her…taking more time then he should in between her thighs. He turned her away from him and held her close, wrapping his arm around her waist and letting his fingers glide down her stomach, over her mound and against her folds. Sam's breath hitched and her arms reached up to wrap around his neck. Using his other hand to cup and massage her breasts, he groaned in her ear, as his fingers circled around her clit, making her gasp. The water temperature changed again, now luke warm. Sam groaned in disappointment. Jack sucked her earlobe into his mouth before releasing it and nibbling on her neck. He whispered in her ear, "I was just using my fingers to warm you up; now I get to taste you."

Her stomach clenched, and she felt his fingers delve a little deeper as he let out a lazy chuckle, "Wow, I actually felt you get wet from that." He growled, "Let's get out of here."

Sam couldn't move quick enough, and they both dried off fast before heading to the bedroom. Once there, she turned towards him and saw his lecherous gaze. Jack pressed his hard chest against hers, and walked them back until she felt the back of her knees make contact with the mattress.

He gave her a quick kiss and turned her around so she was facing the bed. Putting his hands on her waist, he nudged her forward, encouraging her to crawl up onto it. She felt him get on behind her and started to turn around until she was stopped. He laid a hand on her upper back and pressed down, his voice low and husky, "My turn Sam." She leaned over onto her forearms, leaving her ass in the air and felt him move in behind her. His hands caressed her ass and then spread her cheeks. The next moment she could feel his hot breath on her skin around her lips, and felt her heart pounding from the anticipation. She heard him inhale her scent and groan, "Mmm."

Jack flattened his tongue, and laid it against her clit, making Sam jump and gasp. Then he licked slowly, straight back across the length of her crevice, delving deep through her wet folds and gliding back along her slick crease. "Damn you taste good," he mumbled.

When his mouth returned, his tongue was everywhere, exploring slowly around, and then through her folds. Sam's eyes closed, "Oh God," she moaned shakily. He was taking his time, and she could hear him making little hungry noises in the back of his throat as he licked and swallowed her essence. The wet sounds from him tasting her combined with the amazing sensation was overwhelming, and she felt her body quivering. In long broad strokes, Jack delved his tongue deeper and deeper before locking it out and pushing it inside of her slowly. "Oh fuck," Sam moaned, arching her back and gasping his name as his tongue entered her over and over again.

Jack licked the length of her one more time before quickly turning onto his back and scooting up until his mouth was under her. He gripped her ass and pulled her down onto his face. Sam heard him groan as she spread her knees further apart and dropped down on his waiting mouth. His tongue was deep into her folds again as he licked his way up to her clit. Suddenly she felt two of his fingers slide through her lips and enter her. She gasped as he stroked them deep and steady, never letting up with his tongue as it circled her clit slowly. It's when he curved his fingers into her bundle of nerves and rubbed, that she felt herself losing control, "Oh God Jack..."

His fingers sped up and tongue flicked her clit until her body trembled. Sensing the orgasm, Jack thrusted his fingers deep, pulled her tight against his face and sucked hard on her clit. With a yell, Sam shattered, her walls gripping his fingers as her body shuddered and pulsed her release. Jack circled her clit with his tongue and stroked his fingers inside of her slowly until he felt the aftershocks subside. Then he removed his fingers gently and lapped up her juices greedily.

Sam felt her body giving out and swung her leg over him, collapsing on her back with a dreamy sigh. Jack scooted up and laid next to her. He stuck the two fingers in his mouth and licked them clean with a dangerous smile, "Mmm, you're yummy too."

She stared at him in disbelief, her mouth partly open, as he smiled and wagged his eyebrows at her.

"You are unbelievably good at that," she said as she shook her head with a laugh.

They laid together in each other's arms and Sam felt herself drifting off to sleep. About twenty minutes later, Jack woke her up by grazing his fingers down her spine. When her eyes opened, he smiled at her, "Hey sleepyhead." Sam smirked, "That's your fault you know."

He chuckled, "Well, hate to break it to ya, but we only have about two hours if you still want to get the clothes before the guys get here."

"Okay," she said with a tired groan, "let's get this over with."

* * *

They washed up what they needed to, dressed, and within thirty minutes, they were heading out to her place in Jack's truck. Sam felt the dread from earlier creeping back slowly on the way there, as she stared out the window, quiet and detached. Jack watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying to think of something he could do or say to make this easier for her; coming up empty.

When they got there, Jack turned off the truck; his eyes creased with concern, as he took her hand in his, "You sure you want to go inside? Just tell me what to get, and let me take care of it for you."

She eyed the house warily, urging herself to take a few deeper breaths to calm down. She almost didn't answer, fearing her shaky voice would give her away. "No, I'm fine," she forced out quickly.

Jack nodded curtly, knowing full well what the words fine and okay meant where Sam was concerned. It meant she was far from it, but was going to tough it out anyway. Yet another reason why he loved her. He went to her side of the truck and offered his arm as she got out.

A seal on the door had been left behind by the police and Sam used her key to slice through it before opening the front door. As she stepped over the threshold, cold gripped her instantly, and she shivered. Jack watched Sam's eyebrows furrow, as she tried to school her features and control the building panic.

She kept her head down and made her way through the house, concentrating on staying focused. When she turned the corner to walk inside the bedroom, flashes of that night flew through her mind, and the emotions from the assault hit her like a forcefield, stopping her in her tracks. Her senses were on high alert, and when she took a deep breath, she could smell the stench of him. The pounding of her heartbeat made her chest ache it was so loud. She felt her mouth watering, and closed her eyes, trying to will the nausea away.

Jack saw her stop in front of him and wobble a bit. When he placed his hands around her stomach from behind for support, Sam jumped, and elbowed him hard instinctively, before turning around with her arms up. Her face was dark and her breathing heavy. It wasn't the first time Jack had seen that boxing stance.

The blow had pushed him back a step and he put up his hands in a surrender position, realizing his mistake immediately. "Sam, it's me." Sam's facial expression changed from anger to guilt immediately. She gasped and her hands came up to her mouth as she realized what she had done. "Oh God Jack, I'm sorry." Jack could see her eyes begin to water and stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. She buried her face into his shoulder as Jack placed a hand on the back of her neck, embracing her tightly. "It's my fault, Sam, not yours," he whispered into her ear, kissing her temple. After a moment, she pulled back slowly, her eyes red and face flush. Jack put his hands on her cheeks and used his thumbs to brush away the moisture under her eyes. She stared at him and looked down, letting her face drop in his hands, "I don't know what's wrong with me."

He felt a tugging at his heart, hating to see her go through this and wished he could just will it away. Gently he tilted her face up until she was looking back at him, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you Sam," he said huskily. "You're just working through some post traumatic stuff right now and it's going to take time. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that, knowing it could have triggered something."

She took a breath and rubbed his lower chest at the spot she thought she elbowed him, "Does it hurt?"

"No, what hurts is watching you go through this." He used his hand to sweep her hair behind her ears, and gazed in her eyes, "I need you to tell me what I can do."

She gave him a tight smile, "You're doing it," she said before using her hand on his cheek to guide his mouth down to hers and kissing him gently. Everything else took a back seat when she was in his arms, when they kissed. Feeling the power from his strong frame, his arms and hands, calmed her.

Sam took a breath, "Ok, I need to suck it up and get this over with." Jack gave her a confident nod, "You got this."

"I'll grab your bags, where do you keep them?" Jack went into command mode to give focus to the mission at hand, knowing that the faster they got it done, the faster he could get Sam out of there. She told him and he went to retrieve them out of the front closet. Sam started pulling clothes out of her closet and tossing them on the bed, and when Jack came back in with two suitcases, he opened them up and packed the clothes as they landed on the mattress.

Sam found a small duffel bag in her closet that would be perfect for smaller items and slid the straps over her shoulder before heading over to her dresser. Once she set down the bag, she began tossing cosmetics and hair products into it haphazardly, feeling her control wavering. That's when her peripheral caught the blood stains on the carpet. She turned her head slowly to her left and suddenly, the blood stains were replaced by Pete's lifeless body, in all of its horrifying detail. Her eyes widened and mouth watered again, as she stared at his face that depicted the panic he had felt in his last moments. His eyes were frozen wide and his mouth was open and twisted into a terrified expression. Sam could hear her name faintly. For a minute she thought it was Pete, and could have sworn she saw his bloody lips moving.

Jack saw Sam move to the dresser with a small bag. She was moving purposefully and looked focused, grabbing items on auto pilot and tossing them into the bag. He looked up from packing when he heard a sudden silence, and saw a shocked and terrified expression on Sam's face as she stared at the spot where Pete had died. "Shit," he muttered and stepped toward her, stopping a few feet away and called out her name. No response. The grip she had on the dresser was so hard, he could see her knuckles turning white. Jack felt helpless, calling out her name again, his voice sounding like an order creased with desperation, "Sam! Please look at me." Sam's vision faded as the voice cut through, drawing her back into reality.

Her face was white and she was shaking when she turned toward Jack. He saw her eyes focus on him, and then close, as she realized what happened. She leaned on the dresser for support as Jack came over and stood between her and the blood stains. He put his hands on her shoulders "You're okay Sam, everything's okay." Sam nodded her head and took some deep breaths. Jack watched as color returned to her face and the shaking stopped. Her hands loosened on the dresser, as she straightened up. "Okay," she said as she turned and slowly resumed packing. Jack gave her a quick squeeze and kissed the back of her head before stepping back.

He stood there, shielding her from the stains the best he could until she was done at the dresser. When they finally left the bedroom with the two suitcases and toiletry bag a short time later, Sam went room to room with a small handbag, grabbing more items she thought she might need while Jack started loading the truck. When he finished, he came back in and took the handbag from her after she zipped it up, "All set?" he asked. She glanced around before giving him a nod, "Yep, let's get out of here."

Jack walked out of the door first and stopped short when he saw a truck pull up behind his. Sam was locking the door when she heard Jack call out her name. She turned and saw Vince, Pete's older brother getting out of a brown F250. Sam froze. She had only met him once during a Christmas gathering with Pete's family. He had been noticeably distant and wary then, and when Sam had asked Pete about it, Pete simply blamed the Army for his detached and icy demeanor.

And now here he was, walking slowly towards them.


	7. Chapter 7

Vince was a big guy, over six foot and broad chested, currently wearing jeans and a worn fatigue jacket over a tight black t-shirt. His face is what Sam noticed the most. His eyes were dark, and his prominent chin jutted out, reminding her of a bigger and more muscular version of Pete. The short buzz haircut made his time in the service even more obvious than the fatigue jacket he was wearing. But the part that gave her the most pause was his facial expression, which was still eerily blank and unreadable.

Jack set down the bag and stepped in front of Sam, blading his stance, ready for anything. His right hand went to his lower back and he tucked his shirt behind his gun holster. Sam realized he was communicating with her; not only telling her that he was armed but also giving her access to grab it, should she feel it necessary. He had heard her intake of breath when she first saw him, however slight, which clued him in on two things; one was that she knew who this guy was and two was that she wasn't happy to see him.

Jack sized him up as he walked slowly towards them: obviously prior military, had seen time in battle for sure, and the blank expression told him that something in this guy had snapped. He recognized it with other vets; even with himself after his time as a POW and when his son died. Like a man with nothing to lose because everything had already been taken from him. This guy was trouble and Jack looked for any signs he was armed, watching to see if his arms were swinging freely, and visually checking his chest, waistband and ankles for bulging.

When Vince got within 10 feet, jack held out his left hand. "Alright, that's far enough," he said lazily, his inner Colonel coming out. "What do you want?"

Vince stopped, his eyes dark and cold as he tilted his head, trying to see Sam behind Jack.

Sam took a step sideways, into view and cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Jack, this is Vince, Pete's brother."

Jack's jaw tightened as Vince's mouth pulled into a sneer. Sam swallowed hard, recognizing the sneer Pete had given her, realizing it must run in the family. He ignored Jack completely, "Hey Samantha."

When Sam didn't say anything, Vince's awkward chuckle didn't reach his eyes, "What, no hug for me this time?"

Jack was getting more irritated by the minute, "Get on with it or leave, we have stuff to do...fun stuff," he ended, squinting his eyes and flashing one of his typical fake smiles. Sam was used to seeing Jack use this nonchalant mocking tactic against Goa'ulds, but Vince wasn't reacting to it at all.

Vince spoke to Sam again, but this time his face was completely blank and his monotone voice made her hair stand on end, "Samantha, what did you do to my brother?"

Sam's stomach dropped, guilt gripping her. She couldn't seem to find the words.

Vince looked at her accusingly, "One minute he's telling me he's engaged, the next minute he's dead," he pointed at her, "because of you."

Jack noticed Sam's apprehension and stepped forward, letting his anger seep through, "See that's where you have it wrong buddy, he's dead because of me."

"Jack," Sam grabbed his arm to stop him from going further.

She found her words and spoke up, feigning confidence, "Vince, I broke up with Pete almost a year ago, I'm sorry he didn't tell you."

Vince looked at her hand resting on Jack's arm and glared. Sam noticed and pulled her hand away.

"I see," Vince said slowly as if he had figured it all out. Nodding towards Jack, "you had this annoying asshole do your dirty work."

"Hey! Don't call me annoying," Jack said loudly before turning to Sam and lowering his voice, "I'm not annoying, am I?"

Sam cut in, "Vince, he came into my home with a gun and tried to rape me. He was unstable."

Jack saw Vince's jaw clench, "Or maybe you led him on, set him up, and had him killed." He took two quick steps towards them.

Not knowing if he was armed, Jack withdrew his handgun quickly and pointed it at him, "Ah! Ah! Now that's far enough…be nice."

Vince stopped moving but didn't seem shocked or bothered by the gun. He locked eyes with Sam instead, "I'm going to find out the truth Samantha. If you're lying, you'll be next."

"Ok Columbo, time for you to leave," Jack said as he waved the gun towards Vince's truck.

Vince started to turn and then looked Jack up and down, "You better keep that piece close buddy, you're gonna need it."

Jack mustered up another fake smile, and gave him a short two finger salute wave with his other hand, "Ok, thanks, tootles, adios, bye now...drive safe," Jack said sarcastically as Vince started walking back to his truck. When he was far enough away, Jack re-holstered his gun, slid his shirt back over his holster and waited for Vince to drive off until he spoke.

"Rat bastard," he muttered angrily.

He looked at Sam who had turned and finished locking the door. She was quiet, too quiet. "You okay?"

Sam didn't answer, she walked with quick small steps to Jack's truck without waiting for him, and put her hand on the handle. Jack grabbed the bag he had put down and took long strides to catch up, "Hang on Sam, be careful." She ignored him and used the handles to haul herself into the seat, before slamming the door. Jack threw the bag in the back and got in the driver's seat. He saw Sam's face, realizing she was pissed. "Hey," Jack said firmly, "talk to me."

She looked at him hard, "Vince is grieving Jack and he lashed out at me, understandably, and then you pull your weapon on him?"

Jack looked shocked, "Wait a minute, you're mad at me? This guy accuses you of setting up his brother and killing him, and I'm the one at fault?"

"Jack he's just as unstable as Pete was, more even. And now he's threatening to come after me because he saw you protecting me, clueing him in that we're together, days after his brother dies. Imagine how that looks."

Jack took a breath, "Sam I saw that look on his face, I know that look only too well, and I know that it doesn't matter if I'd been here or not, he was still going to hold you responsible for what happened to Pete."

Sam looked away and out the window, "Well, I can't say that I blame him," she muttered.

Jack didn't know what else to say. He took a second before deciding to give her some space, and started the truck. It was getting close to six o'clock and the guys would be over soon. They drove back in silence and when they arrived, Sam made her way slowly into the house, while Jack brought in the bags. He'd been thinking about Vince all the way home and took a couple of extra turns to make sure they weren't being followed. If Sam noticed the detour, she didn't say anything. He thought about calling the General to request at least a background check on the guy just in case. But seeing that the guys were on their way over, he decided he would just call on the way to the cabin tomorrow.

Once inside with the bags, he closed the door and locked both locks. He heard the door to the bathroom open and met Sam in the bedroom. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and didn't bother looking up when he came in.

Before he could say anything, she spoke. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

Jack sat next to her, "Don't worry about it."

She looked down at her hands in her lap, "I do feel guilty. Maybe I did lead Pete on without realizing it."

Jack reached for her hand. "No, you didn't." He sighed, "Listen, I think we both took our turns thinking that a relationship with each other was an impossibility, so we tried to force some triangle pegs into some square holes. We're both guilty of that Sam. But this thing with Pete was different, you know that. And as far as Vince goes, or anyone else for that matter, I'm always going to stand up for you."

She looked at him and gave him a small smile before resting her head against his shoulder. Jack wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple gently.

A minute later they heard a knock on the door. Jack stood up and looked at his watch, "Right on time." Sam exhaled a breath and did her best to put it behind her for now as Jack held out his hand.

When they got to the front door, Jack turned into her before they opened it. "I'm leaving it up to you if you want to tell them about us," he said softly before leaning his head down and kissing her. The knock came again, louder this time and Jack's head popped up, "Alright, hold your horses!" he yelled. Sam giggled as he kissed her again.

They unclasped their hands and Jack opened the door to Daniel and Teal'c. "Surprise!" Daniel yelled, holding up a pizza box

Sam smiled knowingly, "Hey guys."

Daniel's mouth dropped and he looked at Jack, "You told her."

Jack smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "It might've slipped out."

Teal'c's head was tilted inquisitively, "O'Neill, why did you inquire about equines in our possession?"

"Just a figure of speech T, ol' buddy," Jack slapped Teal'c on the shoulder as he passed by and then headed to the kitchen.

"Hey Sam, how're you doing?" Daniel asked Sam softly as he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm okay Daniel, thanks for this."

Daniel looked at her, his eyes begging for forgiveness, "Are we okay?"

Sam hugged him again, "I could never stay mad at you." Then she pulled back and gave him a small glare, "But if you hide something from me again, I'm using you for sparring practice."

He eyes widened at the vailed threat and then smiled gratefully, "It won't happen again, I like my face just the way it is." When Sam laughed, Daniel let out a sigh of relief and then threw an arm around her shoulder, "So who's hungry? Let's eat, I'm starving."

Daniel went off to the kitchen while Teal'c approached Sam next and gave her a hug, "I am very glad to see you well Major Carter."

"Thanks, Teal'c," she said with a big smile, leaning into his big embrace.

"Beers all around," Jack handed out beers to Daniel and Sam, then turned to Teal'c and handed him a glass of water, "Except for you T, we have some fresh H2O."

Teal'c bowed his head and took the glass.

"So, what's the movie?" Jack asked as he took a swig of his beer and took a seat on the couch next to Sam.

Daniel came down from the kitchen with plates for the pizza, and handed them out before grabbing a slice, "Aliens."

Jack just looked at him, his face blank as Daniel took a big bite, "No, really, what's the movie?"

Daniel looked at him strangely, "Reawy Jack, the mobie is cawed Awiens," he said, obviously hindered by the mouthful of pizza.

Jack looked perplexed. "Seriously? It's not enough that we have to deal with their little grey butts in real life? He shook his head incredulously, "What is _wrong_ with you people?"

Sam snickered while Teal'c started in on his own slice of pizza without a word.

* * *

Two hours later, the movie had ended and Jack and Sam were asleep. Jack was leaned back on the couch while Sam, who had started out resting against Jack's shoulder, had slowly slid down into his lap. Jack's hand had been resting on Sam's hip before it slid off in his slumber. Teal'c got up to stretch while Daniel looked at Jack and Sam. "Guess that answers some questions." Teal'c smiled and nodded. "It appears so Daniel Jackson."

Daniel woke Sam up first and she sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "So," Daniel whispered with a smirk, "anything we should know about?" Sam smiled and looked at Jack sleeping, "We're in love," she said simply.

Daniel smiled broadly, stretching his arms out wide, and trying to keep his excited voice low, "Well it's about time, right Teal'c?"

"Indeed," Teal'c answered with a smile and a nod.

Sam woke Jack up as Daniel and Teal'c started bringing the dishes to the kitchen. "I told them," she whispered.

Jack smiled sleepily before quickly pulling her into his lap, and tickling her, "Good." Sam laughed loudly before Jack leaned in for a kiss. Daniel walked in, eyes wide, "Uh...well, that was quick, I guess we should head out."

"Great idea Danny," Jack chuckled.

"Oh, by the way," Sam said, "we're going to head up to Jack's cabin tomorrow and we'll be up there for a week."

Daniel's eyebrows raised, "Really? Wow, finally heading to the cabin after how long?"

"Yes, well, let's not dwell," Jack smirked.

"I'm really looking forward to finally seeing it," Sam said happily.

Teal'c spoke up, "Will there not be fishing Major Carter?"

Sam snorted and erupted into laughter, before answering, "Yes Teal'c, there will be plenty of that."

Jack rubbed his face with his hand, muffling his laughter, while Daniel looked between them, "What's so funny? I don't get it."

"Gee, would ya look at the time, we should really hit the sack. Big day tomorrow you know," Jack said quickly as they both got up to say goodbye.

Daniel and Teal'c walked to the door.

Daniel looked back, his nose crinkling in curiosity, "Come on you guys, you can tell me, what is it?"

"Goodnight Daniel," Jack said as he slapped him on the back and gently pushed him to the door.

Daniel left first and Teal'c followed. Just outside the door, Teal'c turned around, "It pleases me very much to see you together as mates."

Jack and Sam looked at each other smiling, before Sam put her arm around Jacks waist, "Awww, thanks Teal'c."

"Yeah, thanks T," Jack chimed in while wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Teal'c nodded his head and followed after Daniel, while Jack closed the door and locked it.

"That went well," Jack said with a smile.

Sam yawned, "Yep, I'm exhausted.

Jack gave her a kiss, "Well let's get you into bed."

* * *

The next morning, Sam woke to a noise and startled awake. She sat up quickly, noticing immediately that Jack wasn't next to her and the bedroom door was closed. She pushed off the bed, grabbing the wall closest to the bedroom door and listened, wondering if she should try to put on some pants and a bra, seeing that she was standing there in underwear and a long t-shirt. Her facial expression slowly changed as she realized what she was hearing. _Is that music? Wait, is that...singing?_ Then she heard the familiar faint clatter of someone cooking.

Sam slowly opened the door, and the wonderful aroma of bacon hit her nose. She breathed it in with a smile while she listened to the music. Straining to hear the tune, the singing picked up again. Jack's voice was low but clearly upbeat, "She's gotta fine sense of humor, when I'm feeling low down. And when I come to her when the sun goes down..." Sam had made her way down as quietly as she could, sliding her hand against the wall. She recognized the older song but didn't know the words except for the chorus, which he was singing right then, "She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love." She stopped at the door to the kitchen and peaked around the corner. Jack was facing away from her, spatula in hand, and swaying his hips to the music. He was wearing jeans and a white ribbed long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pulled up. He was barefoot and his hair was still damp from a recent shower. She could see omelets cooking in the pan in front of him and a small stack of bacon on a plate beside him.

She smiled and covered her mouth while she watched him sing. He was only putting a little effort into it, but he sounded good, definitely in tune. Sam's heart melted as she watched his ass move. God, he looked sexy as hell. She closed her distance and he must've heard because he looked back quickly and then turned around smiling. "Trying to sneak up on me eh?" Sam smiled and listened, "I know this song, who is it?"

His mouth dropped, "Who is it? Really? Don't you know Van Morrison when you hear him?"

He put down the spatula, turned the heat off on the stove, grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him playfully. Sam swayed into his chest with a giggle before he shifted his left hand around to the small of her back and used his right to curl her hand it into his chest. Jack smiled as he starting swaying them to the tune of the music. Leaning his head forward over his shoulder, he sang the next part of the song low into her ear, his baritone voice making her heart skip a beat, "Yeah, when I'm returning from so far away, she gives me some sweet lovin', brighten up my day. Yeah, and it makes me righteous, yeah and it makes me whole, yeah and it makes me mellow, down to my soul. She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love." Jack pulled his head back to look into Sam's eyes, and she flashed him one of her thousand-watt smiles; Jack's heart leapt.

That smile was his kryptonite.

His voice drifted off and he stopped singing with the music, as it continued on without him. When his swaying stopped, his smile faded, and it was replaced by a seriously dark look Sam now recognized. Sam felt her stomach flip as Jack repositioned his hands around her face, leaned in and kissed her slowly. Her body warmed immediately as the kisses got deeper and deeper. She reached down and felt his groin, it was rock hard and her moan was swallowed by his kiss as she rubbed her hand up and down his arousal. Suddenly, Jack broke contact and reached down, grabbed her ass and picked her up. Sam gasped at the sudden movement and wrapped her legs around his waist as their sensual kisses picked back up. Jack slowly turned and headed for the kitchen counter. He set her down gently on the countertop, and without breaking kissing contact, pushed the plate of bacon out of reach. Sam slid her hands down his chest, and then tucked them under his shirt, her palms gliding up against his sparse greying chest hair and bare skin. Jack reached around to her back and they broke contact so he could lift her t-shirt above her head and off. He braced her back and neck while lowing her, until she was lying flat on the countertop. Pausing to take his shirt off and to look at her beautifully toned body, his voice was low and sultry, "Damn, I can't get enough of you."

He kissed his way down her chest, swirling his tongue around her tight pink nipples. Sam closed her eyes and moaned, placing her arms over her head as Jack moved down to her stomach. He took hold of the waistband of her underwear and pulled them off before spreading her thighs apart, over his shoulders and leaning down. He started circling her clit with his tongue before sucking on it, making her jump and groan his name. He dipped his tongue low through her slick folds, marveling at how wet she was already. Sam sat up as Jack pulled away and straightened up to meet her. She pulled at his waistband, her voice needy and desperate, "I want you." Jack undid his button quickly and zipped down his pants while Sam straightened her long legs and spread them out wide across the countertop. Jack freed his shaft from his boxers and slid the head inside of her. They both groaned as he pulled a little out and pushed deeper, feeling her tightness enveloping him. Seeing her legs split like that was driving him crazy.

He grabbed her ass with one hand and her head and neck with the other as he began kissing her slowly, stroking his tongue against hers to match the rhythm of his long thrusts. Sam ran her hands up and down his chest and pulled her mouth from his, moaning his name. Jack shortened up his strokes, from halfway in to all the way, turning her moans into gasps.

The sensation of him plunging his cock so deeply was overwhelming and she clenched her walls around him, while her fingernails raked down his back. Jack's eyes closed and he groaned, the tingling and the touch of pain bringing him to the brink. She felt herself getting close, and Jack felt her walls start to quiver around him. "You feel so fucking good Sam," he grunted as he felt the pulling and saw that she was close as well. He leaned forward thrusting hard, as she leaned back onto her left forearm. Gripping his neck tightly with her right hand, she lifted her hips to meet him on every thrust, feeling herself teetering on the edge as they breathed heavily, their faces an inch apart.

"Oh Jack," she gasped before coming hard, her legs shaking and her sheath clenching his shaft in pulses. Jack grunted when he felt the flood in the back of her canal cover the tip of him inside of her, and came moaning her name. His thrusts pulsed, as Sam sat all the way up again and kissed him. She rested her forehead against his as he pushed his hips against hers and stopped while his orgasm passed. Sam groaned and kissed him again, cherishing the feeling of him being buried inside of her. He looked at her, his heavy breathing subsiding. "I could die a happy man like this you know, being inside you."

Sam framed his face with her hands, "I'm all yours Jack O'Neill."

He shook his head, as in disbelief at his good fortune, and kissed her, "Then I have everything I need." Sam smiled and hugged him.

When Jack felt himself starting to soften, he pulled out of her slowly. Sam groaned in protest. Jack chuckled, "Sorry sweetheart, but it's your fault this time," he teased.

Sam bent her legs in at the knees and Jack smiled, lifting an eyebrow, "and that splits thing was _excellent_." Sam laughed at his impression as he picked her up by the waist and helped her off the countertop. She started walking toward the bathroom, pulling on his hand, "Shower time?" she asked slyly. Jack chuckled, pulling her back into a hug, "Oh no, we do that again and we'll never leave the house today. How about I wash up, and then you can take a shower while I heat up breakfast."

Sam made a pouty face, "Ok, but I'm going to get you later." Jack smiled, turned and headed out towards the bathroom, "Oh, I'm counting on it," he yelled back. Sam giggled and put her t-shirt back on before pouring herself some coffee and leaning back against the countertop. She felt the pleasant moisture and slight soreness between her legs, and smiled. Just now noticing the music was still playing, even though she couldn't remember hearing it during their lovemaking. A testament to how good it had been, she thought dreamily.

Sam walked her way down the stairs carefully into the living room, realizing her legs were able to handle them without support. She leaned against the arm of the couch, sipping her coffee, and listening to what sounded like another Van Morrison song. Must be one of Jack's CDs she thought with a smile, _yep, totally him._ Sam had her head down, thinking how perfectly fitting the words were, "You'll be my Queen, I'll be your King, and I'll be your… lover too." She closed her eyes and hummed the words.

Then it all happened at once. A deafening explosion rocked the house, and in an instant, hot air and glass flew at her violently. Sam dropped the mug and threw her arms up to cover her face as a shockwave blew her against the wall behind the couch and onto the ground. The next moment, the wind and glass stopped coming, and all she could hear was a blaring tone in her ears. She tried to lift herself up but she could barely move, everything hurt. Her eyes opened when she thought she heard her name being called; it was barely audible through the ungodly loud tone in her ears.

Then she saw Jack sliding next to her, with his gun in hand; his face serious and as panicked as she's ever seen it.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack had his jeans on but was shirtless, and his mouth was opening and closing. Sam stared at his mouth and saw the muscles flexing in his neck, only then realizing he was yelling her name. She pointed to the back porch and he followed her gaze. The doors were completely destroyed, and he ran barefoot outside through the hanging metal. Sam used the arm of the couch to pull herself up, trying to follow him until a bout of dizziness hit her, forcing her stop. A couple of minutes later, Jack walked quickly back inside, his mouth moving.

"I can't hear you," she yelled. Or at least that's what she was trying to say, but not being able to hear herself, she couldn't be sure if he was understanding her. Then she realized he must've, because he nodded and scooped her up into his arms.

He walked her to the bedroom and sat her on the bed, then gave her a wait sign. Sam's head was pounding from hitting the wall, and she put her head in her hands to stop the room from spinning. Jack ran to the kitchen to grab his phone and then to the bathroom to start a bath while he dialed. He went back to the bedroom, and found Sam sitting with her head in her hands. As he briefed the General, he knelt down in front of her, using his free hand to brush back her hair so he could see her face, trying to determine how badly she was hurt. General Hammond told him he would get in touch with the local authorities, who Jack now expected any minute, and have them surround the house; providing protection outside while they remained inside. Hammond's voice sounded like barely controlled rage as he advised that he would also call Janet, Daniel and Teal'c and let them know, "Jack, who the hell would do something like this?"

"Well General, that's another thing, I'll need a background check on a Vince or Vincent Shanahan, Pete's brother. We ran into him yesterday and it's the only thing that makes sense." The General confirmed the request as Jack checked on the bath. Finding the tub full, he went to get Sam.

As he was hanging up, he saw Sam looking at his mouth again, realizing she'd been trying to read his lips. He bent down in front of her and took her face in his hands and lipped slowly, "You're going to be ok." Sam nodded and he helped her up to see how her balance was. Her face was paler than he'd like and her pupils dilated. He had been rocked by more explosions than he cared to remember, and knew the symptoms to look for that would require immediate medical attention. Two things worried him about Sam's symptoms, one was shock and the other was her hearing loss.

"Fuck!" he swore angrily. Did Vince see her walking into the living room? Did he see them making love? He gritted his teeth, realizing that by mouthing off to that asshole, he might've put Sam in the crosshairs. He should have taken the threat more seriously, had him checked out immediately.

Sam saw Jack's expression change as he helped her forward, seeing if she could walk, she guessed. His jaw was clenching and his mouth was opening and shutting quickly. Feeling more stable as she walked forward with his support, he put an arm around her waist and walked her to the bathroom. Sam saw the prepared bath, took off her shirt with Jack's help and got in slowly.

Jack could tell by the way that Sam moved, she was hurting. When her shirt came off, he could see some bruising already forming on her back and tiny marks all over her body from the glass. He tried to quell his anger as he got a washcloth and began washing her slowly while Sam pulled at a couple of tiny shards of glass still stuck in her skin. With all the glass that came flying towards her, she was feeling pretty lucky to have avoided any larger pieces.

Jack stood up suddenly, and his quick movement startled her. When he saw her instinctively cover her chest with her arms, and the panic on her face, he cursed himself and made a "relax," motion with his hands. Then he handed her the washcloth and held up a finger saying that he'd be a minute. He closed the door slowly while Sam continued bathing.

Jack had heard banging on his door and when he answered it, found two local cops standing there. He let them inside to see the damage and debriefed them on the incident, as well as his suspicions on Vince. They said they were keeping a detail outside, and Jack told them that some people from the base would be over with proper identification, but that's all they expected. He also told them that they had planned on leaving town today, and still might, depending on how Sam was feeling.

Once the officers were back outside and posted, he went back to the bathroom in time to see Sam getting up. He helped her out and dried her off, before walking her back into the bedroom in a wrapped towel. Jack sat her on the bed and got some clothes together. When he turned back around, he saw Sam sitting on the edge, hugging herself and shaking. Jack dropped the clothes on the bed and sat next to her, pulling her into a side hug and against his bare chest. He moved his hands up and down on her arms to get her warm while talking to her, even though he knew she wouldn't be able to hear him.

His jaw clenched, "Sam I'm sorry, I should've seen this coming. I saw his face and knew he was unhinged." He growled, "Damnit, I should've shot that sonovabitch when I had the chance." Pausing so he could let some of his anger dissipate, he kissed her temple and continued, "I asked the General to get some intel on the guy, but my guess is that the grunt was an EOD tech when he was in." He took a frustrated breath, "We can't stay here, that's obvious. I'm thinking that we still head up to the cabin. I know the lay out better than he would, which would be a good home field advantage if he tried to follow us up there. It's our safest option….and bonus, the doors are in one piece," he muttered.

Sam was starting to feel warmer and could feel the vibration in Jack's chest as he talked. It was soothing and she closed her eyes until he stopped rubbing and looked at her. She gave him a small smile to tell him she was feeling better. Jack got up and grabbed a shirt for himself while Sam slowly started getting dressed. Jack stood up and moved in front of her before suddenly looking at the bedroom door. He gave her the one-minute sign again and left the room, closing the door behind him. Sam continued to get dressed into the sweatpants and a sweatshirt Jack had picked out, before heading slowly to the door. When she opened it, she saw Janet talking to Jack in the hallway. They must've heard the door open, because they both looked her way.

Janet waved, said something to Jack and headed towards Sam with her medical bag in hand. She gave Sam a concerned look, flashed a tight smile and walked Sam back to the bed to have her sit down. Then she took an otoscope out of the bag, which Sam recognized as the tool doctors used to check ears. She showed the tool to Sam as if to let her know what she was doing. Nodding, Sam turned an ear toward her. Janet leaned down and looked into one ear and then the other. Sam could see that she was saying something, but her lips were moving too fast to read. Janet checked around her head, finding a smaller contusion on the back of it from the impact with the wall. Pulling out her penlight, she checked her eyes and took her pulse, and then had her stand so she could lift up her shirt for a cursory examination. She was frowning and Sam knew from experience, that was never a good sign.

Janet threw her another tight smile before putting her hands around Sam's shoulders and hugging her. Once she pulled back from the embrace, Janet offered a hand to Sam and led her slowly out of the bedroom. Sam saw Jack sweeping up the glass from the living room. When he saw them coming down, he stopped and met Sam and Janet at the dining room table. He gave her a drinking sign and Sam shook her head yes, "Tea?"

Jack nodded and went to the kitchen while Janet was writing something on a pad of paper. He came back a few minutes later and set mugs of hot tea in front of her and Janet, before sitting down.

Sam watched Jack and Janet talk while silently sipping her tea. The roaring in her ears had subsided a bit, but she still couldn't make anything out.

Janet took a sip of her tea and gave Jack the lowdown. "Her pupils are still a bit dilated from the shock, but luckily I didn't detect any perforation in her eardrums. I believe she has NIDL."

Jack eyes narrowed, "Layman's terms doc."

Janet nodded, "It stands for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, which hopefully will go away gradually over the next day or so."

Jack nodded, "Anything else?"

Janet's lips pressed together, "There is a small contusion on the back of her head. I'm guessing she hit her head somehow after the explosion. My concern is the consistent trauma she has sustained to her head after everything that's happened. I know Jacob used the healing device on her, but the brain is a funny thing, and there's no way to know if it was able to heal her to that extent. Not without a bunch of tests anyway."

Pausing, she took another sip and looked up at Jack slowly, "Everything in my being is telling me to order you both back to the base."

Jack nodded slowly, "I get that, but I'm asking you to trust me on this. I know how this guy thinks and he won't stop being a threat until we take him out. Taking her to the base right now is like slapping a band aid on a gunshot wound. Please Janet, we have to deal with this now before it gets worse."

Janet closed her eyes and let out a pent-up breath before looking back at him, "You'll need to watch out for lingering effects such as fever, dizziness, vomiting and seizures. Because of the hearing loss, her equilibrium will be a little out of whack. A little bit of dizziness is one thing, but if any other symptoms go with it, or she loses consciousness in any way, she'll need to go to the ER immediately."

Jack nodded. "You have my word." He looked at Sam intently, "I would never risk her life like that."

Janet finished up, "Besides that, the smaller cuts from the glass are superficial and should heal quickly." She dug into her bag and pull out a prescription bottle, setting it on the table, "These should help with any dizziness."

Janet took a sip of her tea, sighing in resignation, "Has she had any panic attacks or episodes?"

Jack had picked up the prescription bottle and was fiddling with it, "A few, but she's been doing better."

"How is she sleeping?" Janet asked.

"Fine so far," Jack answered.

Janet looked at Sam who was still watching them intently, and then continued writing on the pad of paper, before pushing it in front of Sam. It said:

_Sam you have some noise induced hearing loss that is not permanent and should improve within the next twenty-four hours. Your cuts are minor and will heal. Do you remember hitting your head?_

Sam nodded yes when she thought of hitting the wall. Janet wrote some more and then handed the pad back to her:

_I am concerned of the repeated trauma to your head. I brought some pills for mild dizziness, but you need to tell Jack if it gets worse or you start to feel nauseous okay?_

Sam nodded again.

Janet looked at Jack and then wrote one last thing before showing it to Sam.

_Do you want to go to the base or the cabin?_

Sam looked at Jack who was looking at her intently.

Sam said, "Cabin," and Jack took her hand in his and flashed her a tight smile.

Sam watched as Janet spoke to him, before getting up. She hugged Sam, and Jack walked her to the door. Sam looked out into the living room, taking in the extent of the damage; realizing that the damage seemed very localized, targeted actually. She knew the culprit must be Vince, but seeing this kind of work convinced her that he must've had training. Maybe he had been in an Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit while in the Army; and knowing Jack, he had probably figured the same thing. Even so, when he walked back in and sat down, she said "EOD." Jack looked out into the living room, before looking back at her grimly, and nodding. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, then grabbed the notepad and wrote something before showing it to her:

 _Police outside. D & T on the way._ _I'm going to pack. Good?_

Sam managed a small smile and nodded. Jack got up and hugged her from behind before heading to the bedroom. She stood up with her tea and moved to the edge of the dining room, with her back to the wall so she could have a clear view to the front door. Noticing how vulnerable she was feeling; and realizing sadly that it was only a taste of what people with hearing loss had to go through on a daily basis. Sam had gotten used to the loud tone in her ears, but the headache that came with it was brutal. Luckily the body aches weren't too bad; she'd certainly been in worse shape before.

She looked back out at the living room, thinking again about the explosion. _Why hadn't it been worse? With his kind of training, he could have just wired the entire house. Why just the patio doors, and just enough to what, scare them? Scare her?_ If she had stayed in the kitchen, it wouldn't have touched her. He must've been watching, waiting for the right moment. She suddenly felt like a pawn in a chess game, and shivered at the good possibility he had been watching them in the kitchen minutes before detonating the explosion.

Sam saw movement to her left and watched Jack walking down the hallway towards her. He pointed to the door and she nodded as he passed her by. She exhaled a breath, pushing the disturbing thoughts out of her head as he opened the door and let Daniel and Teal'c inside. Sam watched their facial expressions as Jack explained everything. Watched as they turned their heads toward where the glass doors had been, before looking at her. Daniel and Teal'c walked up to her. Both wore concerned faces and gave her gentle hugs before taking a seat at the table, while Jack went to the kitchen and grabbed some drinks. Once he returned and they were all sitting down, the phone must've rung because Jack suddenly picked it up and began talking. He had a short conversation before hanging up and then Sam watched as the discussion between the three of them continued.

"That was the General who gave me a run down on Vince, confirming he was EOD, but also that he was dishonorably discharged after he set an unauthorized charge while on deployment; killing an entire Iraqi family, children included. He insisted that they were the enemy, evil to be exact, but the Army didn't find any evidence to support that they were insurgents. He was originally sentenced to 25 years in Leavenworth, but was diagnosed with severe PTSD and sent to a military hospital instead. His sentence was reduced and he ended up only serving seven years in the hospital before being released. He's still on parole now, with the provision of mandatory counseling, but his therapist says she hasn't seen him since the day Pete died." Jack finished.

Daniel spoke first, "Jack this is crazy, how did he even get away? You said you ran outside right after the explosion and didn't see him?"

Jack shook his head, "It could have been set on a timer or activated by cell phone. Until the investigation is complete, we won't know for sure."

"How may we be of assistance O'Neil?" Teal'c asked. Sam recognized the anger behind the frowned face of her friend as she watched him speak.

"The only way to get our hands on this guy is to get him isolated. I'm thinking we'll have to lure him in, but I'll need your help."

Daniel leaned forward, "What's the plan?"

Jack took a breath, "We'll need some surveillance equipment and our gear from the base. Better include a couple of Zats and some C4 while you're at it, in case we have to detonate any devices. There's only one road in an out, and if we set up some cameras off the road and hidden around the cabin, he won't be able to get close without us knowing. There's a small shed on the other side of the pond that would be big enough for two people, and the three of us could take turns monitoring the cameras while Sam stays inside the main cabin. That way we can surveil while not letting Sam out of our sight." Jack looked at her, his face tight with determination, "I'm not letting anything else happen to her."

Daniel's brows furrowed and he nodded curtly, "We're in, right Teal'c?"

Teal'c jaw clenched and he gave one longer nod, "Indeed."

Jack gave them a grim but proud tight smile, "I want to head up right away with Sam. You guys follow as soon as you are able to get the equipment tomorrow morning. Let's be sure to keep our phones handy and we'll update each other throughout the day until you two arrive. Good?"

Both Daniel and Teal'c nodded again and got up to leave. They leaned over and hugged Sam goodbye before Jack walked them to the door. Sam stood up, got dizzy and sat back down quickly, putting her head in her hands to get her bearings.

When Jack walked back up towards the kitchen, he saw Sam sitting at the table with her eyes closed, using her hands to support her head.

His stomach tightened as he gently put a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him and saw the concern on his face, silently asking if she was okay. Sam lied, and managed a tight smile. She knew if she mentioned the dizziness, he would probably make her return to the base, and then they would never be able to stop Vince. Every time she would leave the base to go home, she would have to look over her shoulder and wonder when the next attack would happen. No way she was going to live with that fear day to day. She had played that game for almost a year with Pete, and look how that turned out. No…now was the time to isolate and attack, and she knew Jack was thinking the same exact way. After all, she had learned from the best.

Jack looked at her and his eyebrows furrowed. He didn't believe her. She took the bottle of meds Janet had dropped off, shook them for emphasis and opened them up. Jack still looked skeptical as she downed a pill with the rest of her now cold tea.

He held the inside of his forearm to her forehead for a moment. Janet had told him that a fever is a major concern for traumatic brains injuries and would be one of the signs that a trip to the hospital would be mandatory.

He must have been happy with what he felt, because when he lifted his forearm away from her, he gave her a quick kiss before writing on the pad, _Packing the truck now._

Sam nodded while he left.

* * *

After finishing up with the police, Jack called Siler to see if he wouldn't mind boarding up the porch doorway until he had a chance to get the house repaired. Then they were finally on their way to the cabin. Sam watched Jack driving, and noticed him consistently checking the rear-view mirror. Within an hour they stopped for food, realizing that they hadn't eaten all day. The sun was setting and they wouldn't be getting there until early the next morning if they drove straight through. Jack had ordered for her, but Sam was feeling nauseous and struggled to eat. He hadn't stopped looking concerned and took the pad of paper out of his pocket he had brought along to write on.

_What's wrong? Dizzy? Nauseous?_

Sam shook her head no and played with her food.

Jack had a helpless feeling. He could tell Sam was lying to him, trying to downplay her symptoms. Despite knowing how tough she was, it wasn't going to stop him from worrying.

Sam felt good about one thing as they walked back to the truck to leave; her legs were getting stronger. Even with the soreness and mild dizzy spells, she was walking well on her own and noticed Jack was staying close, just in case.

Hours later it was rounding midnight, and Sam had fallen asleep, curled up against the door frame. Jack was starting to feel tired as well and thought about getting a room somewhere. He could pull over and take a quick nap, but he didn't want Sam to have to sleep any longer in the truck, especially after the day she'd had. He pulled off at the next exit after seeing a sign for a hotel, and touched Sam gently. She woke up quickly and then cringed, looking sore. He pointed his finger at the place and Sam nodded gratefully.

Sam noticed a small sound through the humming in her ears when she got out and shut the truck door. She stopped, before opening and shutting the door again to check. She smiled, yep, she could hear it; it was faint, but it was there.

Once inside the room, they got ready for bed quickly so they could get an early start. Jack called Daniel and Teal'c and let them know about the slight change in plans.

As they laid down together, Sam tucked herself into Jack's arms as she fell asleep, realizing before she drifted off that she never felt so secure then when she was in his arms.

It took awhile for Jack to succumb to his tiredness. He had a headache from worrying about Sam all day, and even now as he watched her sleep peacefully, all he could think about was keeping her safe.

* * *

Sam woke up in terror, desperately gasping for air. Her throat was burning and when her eyes shot open wide in panic, she saw Vince on top of her, with both hands around her throat. She grabbed at his hands wildly, punching and clawing at his face, as the pressure continued. His nose flared and she saw the veins in his big neck pulse from the effort. Her eyes darted through the room frantically, Jack...where was Jack? Vince followed her gaze, flashed an evil grin, and grunted, "Your boyfriend's dead Samantha. He's gone, just like Pete."

Sam's eyes watered immediately. _No, it can't be. He can't be gone!_

She felt her strength leaving her and her vision tunneling as her body starved for oxygen. All she could hear was his voice, "You're going to die slow, like my brother did."

Sam tried to scream but nothing came out. She tried clawing one last time but he was so strong. Then darkness came and the last thing she could feel was him shaking the life out of her.

"Sam!" She heard her name called out as she gasped for air, fighting for her life. "Carter!"

Sam froze at the change in name, the muffled voice, shocking her back into reality. She opened her teary eyes, realizing it was Jack shaking her, and struggled to breathe. "Sam, calm down, you're okay, can you hear me? You're okay." Sam felt like she was hyperventilating. "Slow down honey, take deep breaths. Take deep breaths with me." Jack started taking exaggerated deep breaths until Sam started matching his rhythm. She noticed his cloudy voice and the sounds around her clearing as her breathing slowed and the burning subsided. She was sweaty and exhausted, feeling like she'd ran a marathon.

Jack was tired as hell, having to use all of his strength to keep Sam from killing him. A couple of minutes earlier, he had woken up suddenly when he heard Sam gasping for air in her sleep. When he tried to wake her up, the fight was on.

Jack flopped onto his back, and then turned his head to look at her, "Can you hear me Sam?"

Sam looked back and nodded, her breathing finally normalizing as she tried to calm down.

It took some prodding before Sam told Jack about the dream. She still hadn't recovered, and when she told him shakily about how she thought Vince had killed him, Jack pulled her into a hug and then smiled lazily, "You're not going to get rid of me that easily sweetheart. Well, unless you kill me yourself, damn you're strong." Sam barely managed a smile and curled tightly into his arms.

They laid there in silence. Jack was grateful that Sam's hearing had recovered but he was worried about her dream affecting her so drastically.

"Any lingering effects from the explosion at all?" He asked.

It was a moment before she answered, "The ringing isn't completely gone and I'm still pretty sore, but that's about it," she answered softly. Sam closed her eyes tight and then went quiet, feeling the panic building as flashes of Vince's face hovering over her flooded her mind.

Jack noticed her tensing and looked down as he held her, "Hey, are you okay?"

When Sam didn't respond, he brushed her hair back so he could see her face. She opened her glassy eyes and looked up at him. "Talk to me," he said softly.

Sam couldn't believe how powerful the dream had felt and her eyes teared up. It may have not been real, but the sense of Jack's loss had been devastating. The hopeless sensation came flooding back and hit her like a wave as she felt her stomach knot. The panic that gripped her was unbearable and she couldn't seem to pull herself out of it.

"Sam, please, you're worrying me," his voice was tight with concern as she hugged him harder.

Her voice came out sounding small and strained, "I can't lose you."

Jack exhaled, remembering the overwhelming despair he felt when she got shot and he thought she was gone. His voice was raw with emotion, "You won't lose me Sam, you're stuck with me now."

Sam's arms started shaking from holding on to him so tightly. "What can I do?" he asked gently.

Desperate to be close to him in every possible way, she whispered, "Make love to me." The statement was caught between a question and a plea.

Jack looked at her for a moment, realizing what she was really asking for was a real connection; to hold onto something that she thought was gone forever just minutes ago. He felt his voice hitch, "There's nothing I want to do more."

He undressed them both and then laid on his back, pulling her against him. Sam was lying on her left side, with her thigh draped over him. She had one arm wrapped around his shoulder and the other tightly around his chest as he bent his head down and started kissing her slowly; taking his time. Jack's right hand moved around her back, rubbing it gently and his left grazed down the length of her and massaged the thigh draped over him. He allowed the kisses to get deeper, sliding his tongue languidly against hers, as he slowly moved his left hand in between her thighs. Using his fingers, he starting making light small circular motions around her clit. Sam moaned into his mouth, still holding onto him tightly, with her body tucked into him as much as she could manage.

Her thighs widened to give him more access and he capitalized by widening the circles through and around her folds. Sam's hips jerked in response and Jack felt his fingers getting covered. He grunted, as his hard shaft twitched immediately from her arousal. Dipping two fingers down, he slid them through her folds and inside her tight canal, finding her bundle of nerves. As he rubbed softly back and forth, Sam separated from their kiss and moaned his name breathily against his neck.

Jack couldn't wait any longer, and turned his hips into her slightly, guiding himself inside. He held onto her while he slowly thrusted into her. Sam had her eyes closed, savoring the sensation; feeling the knot in her stomach start to unravel. He wrapped his right arm around her back in a hug, while his left hand held onto her ass. Gently he began rocking her against him while he thrusted his hips up slowly, being careful not to jostle her. "I'm never leaving you Sam," Jack spoke softly. Sam gasped, his words gripping her heart and squeezing; he was right there, holding her, loving her…alive. He felt Sam's tears on his chest as his thrusts got longer, each one ending with him buried inside of her. Sam gasped again, this time at the ultimate sense of closeness, the warm coiling sensation pulling the tendrils of her grief away. Wanting more of the source, she began clenching around his length with every thrust. Jack groaned, feeling himself getting close; doing his best to hold off. This was about Sam's release, not his.

Remembering how she liked it the day before; he changed the rhythm to shorter deeper thrusts and Sam moaned his name loud. Jack used the grip on her ass to rock her hips forward, ending each thrust in a grind, hoping in would stimulate her clit as well. Her moaning turned to soft whimpering and just before he thought he wasn't going to be able to hold out any longer, she bent her head down and let out a gasping yell against his chest as she came hard. Jack held her tight and kept thrusting as her body bucked against him; his loud moan filling the room as he followed immediately with his own release. It wasn't until he felt the quivering of her legs subside that he slowed down.

Sam opened her teary eyes and looked at him, "Stay inside me." And with the next stroke, he stopped deep inside of her as his breathing slowed. Jack brushed her cheek with his thumb before leaning his head down and kissing away Sam's fallen tears, "I'm right here Sam," he said comfortingly, "I'm right here." He pulled her over so she was lying flat on top of him, chest to chest. He flipped the covers over them and hugged her as Sam closed her eyes. This time the relief was evident; the panic all but gone, as he felt her finally relax in his arms.


	9. Chapter 9

It was late morning when they were back on the road again.

There was no doubt that Sam's episode had thrown Jack for a loop. He'd never seen her so vulnerable. It amazed him that after all the shit they'd been through on missions together, all the hellholes they'd barely survived; it was the idea of him dying that had tipped the scale for her. Although, seeing her die on that planet had been what tipped the scale for him, so they were definitely in the same boat. Even so, seeing the raw emotion from her had him torn. It made him feel a bit unworthy, but it also made him feel like the luckiest bastard alive that this woman could love him that much. He found himself wanting to spend all day in bed with her, letting his love encase her like a protective bubble. But in the end, Sam was the one that had to coax him out from underneath the covers; forcing him to get his ass in gear. He watched her as she got ready, seemingly back to her old self, and a complete one eighty from where she'd been emotionally just hours ago. She really was amazing.

During breakfast, they caught up on everything she hadn't been able to hear the day before, and the plan that lie ahead. She talked about how she could split the camera feeds so the footage could be viewed in both the shed and the cabin, which would reduce outside exposure tremendously. Jack was thrilled, because it meant he could help the guys with the surveillance while not having to leave Sam. They talked about Vince and brainstormed about what he might be planning, but couldn't really come up with much else.

When they were back on the road, there was a lull in conversation and Sam thought about how utterly devastated she had felt earlier that morning. Glancing at Jack as he drove, she contemplated how he had been able to pull her out of it. He had always been there for her. Throughout the years he had supported her, defended her, and protected her as they fought alongside each other. She smiled as it dawned on her; he had already provided everything she ever wanted and needed in a relationship, even before they got intimate. And now that they had crossed that fateful line, and she was able to experience that intense love up close; she saw a different side of him. A softer, gentler, loving side of him that made her giddy and weak in the knees. She flushed and smiled, thinking of the times they'd made love. It was like nothing she'd ever felt with anyone, and now that she had experienced it, she was absolutely, unequivocally, all in.

"You're staring," Jack said with a smirk, continuing to look forward as he drove.

Sam grinned and bit her lip, blushing a bit at being caught.

He glanced at her when she didn't say anything.

"Just thinking how lucky I am," she said with a small smile.

Jack's eyebrows lifted a bit, "Lucky? To have some old crotchety guy gushing all over you?"

Sam smirked, "There's nothing old or crotchety about you. And I think I've been the one gushing, figuratively and literally."

Jack shot her a big dimply smile and raised his eyebrows, "Nice. Makes me kinda feel like I've hit the jackpot," he said as he reached over, took her hand and kissed the top of it.

* * *

When they stopped for lunch, Jack took them to a diner he often frequented when making the trip up to the cabin. It was a little chilly out and Sam put on her short black leather jacket over her bright blue top. She didn't feel like dragging her purse along, so she slipped her handgun into the inside pocket of her jacket for safekeeping.

As Sam walked to the door of the diner with Jack, she tried to take longer strides and was happy with the strength she was feeling; like she could risk a jog if she absolutely had to. Her head felt clear for the first time since the explosion and the ringing in her ears was finally gone. She smiled to herself, and realized that for someone who had a murderer after her, she was feeling pretty damn good.

They sat down at the far booth, with Jack facing the door as usual. He was telling her about the stuff that was good on the menu when a waitress walked up to them. Sam estimated her to be in her mid-forties, and thought she looked very cute with her pinned back auburn hair and prominent features. She was a bit shorter than Sam, thin build and wore a red blouse that accentuated her large breasts. Her name tag said "Claire," and when she got next to them, she squealed. "Jack?! I haven't seen you in ages!" Claire threw her arms over him in a big side hug as Sam felt an instant wave of jealousy wash over her; quickly plastering a small smile on her face.

Jack made no move to reciprocate and simply patted the arm that was draped across his chest. He glanced at Sam nervously and gave the waitress a polite smile back, before clearing his throat, "Hey Claire. I didn't know you were working here."

With an over the top smile and her eyes shining, she looked thrilled to see him, "Just took a break from the bar to help out Uncle Ben." Then she glanced at Sam as if noticing her for the first time, and her smile wavered, "Who's this?" Her voice had dropped a couple octaves and unlike Sam, she made no attempt to hide her jealousy.

Jack shifted uncomfortably, "This is Sam, my ummm." Jack paused, not knowing what to say or what Sam would be comfortable with. Co-worker? Friend? Girlfriend?

"His Lover... hello," Sam finished boldly. Jack's eyes widened while Claire's eyes narrowed into a glare. Sam's plastic smile disappeared and her expression turned fierce, as if daring Claire to challenge her. Claire's eyes widened at the look and she turned away from them quickly, mumbling something about giving them time to look over the menu.

Sam looked back at Jack and saw a mixture of surprise and amusement on his face.

"What?" She asked as she pulled a menu in front of her face quickly and glanced down at it.

Jack beamed at her, and an eyebrow shot up, "Lover eh?"

Sam glanced at him over the menu and her face flushed, realizing what it must've looked like from his point of view. "Was I wrong?"

Jack shook his head quickly, "No, no, absolutely not," and continued to stare at her until she looked up at him.

"What?" She asked again, her eyes narrowing at him.

He gave her a seductive smile, "That was hot."

Sam's stomach fluttered.

Smile fading, his eyes darkened and he looked at her intently before standing up and taking her hand, "Let's get out of here." Not waiting for a response, he led her outside and to the truck. When they got to her door, he spun her around in front of him before putting a hand behind her head, and leaning her against the truck. His warm body pressed her hard against the door as his lips captured hers in a fiery kiss.

Sam melted against him and moaned. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held on tight as his tongue crept through her parted lips, and took hers hostage. She felt the intense heat flow through her body and head south as Jack's kisses slowed from frantic to sensual. The taste and feel of him against her assaulted her senses, and she was dizzy and wet when he finally pulled his lips away from hers to catch his breath; his face dark with desire. "Damn, I wish we were somewhere else right now," his voice sounded hoarse as he leaned his forehead against hers.

Sam smiled, her face flush as she cleared her throat and closed her eyes, waiting for the strength in her legs to return, "Now _that_ was hot."

Jack smirked, "What can I say, seeing you being all protective like that turned me on."

Sam smiled wryly, "Well, I had to claim what's mine." She snuck a hand down in between them and grabbed his hardened bulge through his jeans.

Jack's breath hitched as she used it to pull him back against her for another kiss, while her other hand gripped the back of his head. Jack gripped the top edge of the truck door and groaned as her tongue found his, her hand now rubbing him firmly. It took everything in her to let go of him, and pull her mouth away from his; thinking if it had been dark out, she would have pulled him behind the diner and tasted him.

"You're killing me." He grunted breathily.

Sam chuckled softly, knowing the feeling was mutual, and laid her forehead against his shoulder.

He put his arms around her and after some deep breaths, slowly pulled back from her, "There's another place up the street we can eat."

One of her eyebrows raised, "Are you sure we're not going to run into another friend of yours up there too?" she teased.

He grinned and grazed his lips against hers, "It was a one-time thing, and no, there's no one else…"

"Good," she smirked, before leaning forward to kiss and lick the length of his neck. She felt an intake of breath from him as her kisses reached under his ear. Her voice was raspy and her warm breath ignited fires within him when she whispered, "because I'm greedy and don't like sharing."

Feeling his arousal straining against his jeans again, he growled, "I'm all yours."

Sam pulled his earlobe into her mouth and sucked gently, before releasing it with a hum.

When her tongue began grazing back down his neck, she heard his strained voice, "Sam."

"Hmm?" she managed, suckling a blazing trail down his collarbone.

When he took her by the shoulders, and pulled her away from him, his breath was ragged, "If you don't stop, I'm going to take you… right here, right now."

She groaned, so unbelievably turned on by the thought of him thrusting into her… it was almost too much.

Cursing under his breath, he held her at arm's length, still not fully trusting himself to not go through with it anyway.

Sam took some deep breaths this time, and shifted her thighs together, "I'm going to need to change at our next stop."

Jack looked up at the sky, "Sonova…"

* * *

It was awhile before they were able to pull themselves together and head up to the other small restaurant. Once there, Sam handled her business as Jack ordered them some burgers. They also used the opportunity to give Daniel and Teal'c a call to see where they were. Once the guys gave them their location, Sam figured they were only about six hours behind her and Jack.

A few hours after they got back on the road, Jack stopped at a busy gas station to refuel and grab a couple of drinks. Sam waited, absentmindedly watching people walking in and out of the store as she mulled over their plan and tried to calculate all of the variables. Vince wasn't exactly predictable which made it almost impossible to think of every possible outcome, but there were still some pieces to the puzzle that didn't sit right, and she decided to bounce some things off of Jack when he got back.

Sam thanked him for the Diet Coke as he buckled up and then started in, "So I've been thinking…"

"Honey, that's a given," he teased.

She smirked, "So how do you think Vince knew the address to your house? You were careful that we weren't followed from my place."

Jack shrugged, "Not sure, public record I imagine."

"Then by all accounts the cabin would be listed in your name as well?"

Jack nodded, but seemed confused. "Yeah, it's in my name... but we're figuring he already knows where the cabin is, that's why we're setting this up, right?"

"Yeah, but we're thinking he's behind us...that he hunkered down after tripping the explosion."

Jack looked at her, his face creasing with concern, "You think he's ahead of us?"

Sam nodded, "I think it's possible. If he left right away, he's had a lot of time to set up and we could be walking into an ambush." She thought for a moment and shook her head slowly, "You know I was wondering why the explosion seemed so minimal. He could've blown the entire house to kingdom come, but he didn't…" Her eyes went blank as she pieced everything together, "…he did just enough to flush us out."

Jack looked forward again, his stomach dropped and jaw clenched as he processed the implication, "Here we were thinking we're isolating him, when really, he's isolating us." He looked back at her, taking her hand in his, "We can call the General and see if he could get some local authorities over there to do a sweep with some bomb dogs to clear it, just in case."

Sam nodded, "Probably a good idea, since we won't have the equipment to do it ourselves."

Jack pulled over just past the town of Marshall, about two and a half hours away from the cabin, so they could make some calls. General Hammond told them to stay put and he would call them back when the local police department was finished with the search. Then Jack called Daniel and Teal'c and caught them up on the details. The General estimated it would take at least a couple of hours, so Jack and Sam decided to stop somewhere to wait. They drove up highway 23 and stopped at a rustic bar and grill called Pickles Pub. The pub was set back from the road, sitting by itself on the lone stretch of highway, and would've looked closed if it wasn't for a couple of cars in the lot.

"Wow must be happy hour," Jack joked.

Sam chuckled, "Good thing we made reservations."

They walked inside, finding the place dimly lit and a bit rundown. There was a wrap around bar to the right and open table seating directly in front of them. There was an old juke box in the far-left corner with a small linoleum dance floor. Directly to the left there was a sign advertising the restrooms down a dark hallway. Sam headed there while Jack went to the bar and took the furthest seat with his usual view. There were only two people inside, the bartender, and an older grey-haired man hunkered over his beer at the opposite end of the bar. The bartender was a fit guy in his late forties who nodded at Jack when he sat down, "What'll you have?"

Jack looked at the unmarked tap, realizing this wasn't a Guinness kind of place, and decided not to be picky, "I'll take whatever you got on tap."

"You got it."

Sam walked down the hallway towards the restrooms, found the door marked Ladies and pushed through. She couldn't stop thinking about Vince and what his plan was. He had to know that they would try to take every precaution. But he also may not care, and could be treating it like a suicide mission. Even with the recent epiphany that he could be waiting for them, she couldn't shake the feeling like she was still missing something. When she finished, she walked across the bar and sat next to Jack.

Jack had been watching for her and realized when she walked out because the bartender had stopped moving. He was just standing there, beer in hand, watching Sam. Jack smirked as she sat down, not seeming to notice the extra attention. All of the missions they'd been on, he had gotten used to this kind of reaction from men and women all over the galaxy.

The bartender came over with Jack's beer and slid it down in front of him, his eyes still on Sam.

"What'll it be young lady?" He asked, flashing a big wink and a bright smile.

Jack took a sip and grinned, humored at the guy's attempt at being charming.

Sam gave him a polite smile, "I'll have what he's having."

"Coming right up gorgeous."

Sam rolled her eyes when he turned and glanced at Jack, who she could tell was enjoying the onslaught of flirty pleasantries. Not that she was into the whole overprotective jealousy thing from guys she was with, but after her embarrassing display earlier, a little something would have been nice.

"I think you have a fan," Jack smirked.

Her lips pursed together and eyes narrowed, "Oh, you're enjoying this huh?"

"Yep," Jack emphasized the p with a cocky grin and took a sip of his beer.

Sam gave him a daring look and Jack could hear the wheels turning in her head. His smile wavered a bit, and he suddenly felt like he had just challenged a bear to a race, while slathered in honey. Before he had a chance to ask her what she was thinking, the bartender returned with her beer.

Sam faced the bartender and her expression transformed completely. Game on. She flashed him one of her…no, his… brightest smiles and poured on the charm, "Why thank you handsome."

The response made the bartender smile again and he stuttered, "Uh...anytime."

Jack was no longer smiling.

Sam winked at him like she was just getting started, got up with her beer, and walked over to the juke box. She leaned over it a little more than she needed to while she perused over her options; allowing her fitted jeans to accentuate her curves.

Jack grunted and his eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the bartender staring hard at her ass. Okay, so maybe it was a little different now that they were together.

Sam dug into her pocket for change and plugged a few coins in before hitting some buttons.

Jack recognized the music instantly, and an 'uh oh' feeling washed over him as Bonnie Raitt's voice started, "People are talking, talking 'bout people. I hear them whisper, you won't believe it…" Sam started to move her hips and ass to the music while continuing to examine the juke box. Jack felt his stomach tighten and glanced back at the bartender whose mouth had opened slightly as he blatantly ogled Sam. Even the old man shifted in his seat to get a better view.

Sam sat her beer down and then slowly took off her jacket, draping it over the juke box. She danced into the center of the dance floor with her eyes closed as if lost in the music. Her arms raised above her as her dancing became more sensual. The new position of her arms pushed her heavy breasts together, making her cleavage pop in the blue spaghetti strapped top. The bartender gave a low whistle and shook his head side to side slowly, "Wow, she's somethin' else." A primal response pulled at Jack while his eyes went back and forth from Sam to the bartender.

Bonnie Raitt's gravelly voice crooned, "Let's give them something to talk about baby, a little mystery to figure out..." Suddenly, Sam opened her eyes, flashed a seductive smile toward the bar, crooked a finger and gave a 'come here' sign. Because Jack and the bartender were standing close enough, it was impossible from their vantage point to know who she was encouraging to come over.

When the bartender started to move, Jack stood up quickly and stared him down, "Hey! Don't even think about it," he barked. The bartender's eyes went wide and he froze, while Jack threw back the last gulp of beer and walked over to her.

Sam watched Jack get up quickly and say something to the bartender. As he walked over, she noticed his tense stride, and she couldn't pull her eyes away from his face. Jack's expression looked absolutely lethal and Sam's heart skipped a beat, wondering if she had taken her game a little too far. When Jack got within reach, he grabbed her by her hip and pulled her to him, leaning his head next to hers, "You trying to get that guy hurt?" he asked gruffly into her ear.

Sam felt goosebumps climb her neck and she swallowed hard, pulling back to smirk at him, "But I thought you were enjoying yourself," she teased.

His eyes lightened a bit as he slowly smirked back at her, "Well, I can't blame the guy, I mean look at you, you're sexy as hell."

Sam blushed and then smiled, biting her bottom lip, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him gently back against a pillar edging the dance floor. When his back made contact, Sam began dancing against him. Her hands gliding against his chest as her hips and ass moved provocatively. Jack had his hands on her hips until she turned around and moved her ass up and down, grazing his hardening shaft. All Jack could do was stand there and take it, not that he minded. He could feel the eyes on him and smirked at the open mouths in his peripheral. As the song ended, she faced him slowly and then grabbed his shirt, pulling him to her for a sensual kiss. Jack was speechless when she finally gave him room to breathe. Sam smiled, "Hope that wasn't too much."

Jack hugged her and the corners of his mouth curled upwards as he shook his head, "You are so bad." He turned her until he was faced away from the bar, using her to block anyone from seeing him adjusting himself, "If you kept that up any longer, I would've been the one changing next."

Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed, "Why don't we look for another place?"

Jack nodded, kissing her again with a frustrated groan before handing her the keys. "I'll settle up with lover boy over there and be out in a second."

Sam put on her jacket, turned and walked outside to the truck, while Jack went over to the bar and peeled off some money to pay the tab.

"You're a lucky man," the bartender said with a shake of his head and an envious smile.

"Don't I know it," Jack threw over his shoulder as he headed to the restroom.

* * *

When Sam got back into the truck, Sam's phone rang and she looked at the number. She didn't recognize it but answered it anyway, thinking it could be someone involved with the search.

"Hello Samantha," Vince's deep voice came over the phone and a cold chill ran down her spine, "did you enjoy yourself in there?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Vince had been watching them for three days straight, and realized quickly that Pete never stood a chance against Samantha, not really. She was a like a modern-day succubus, a demon of medieval folklore who enjoyed luring men in with sex, before unraveling them slowly, until they lost their minds or died. Oh, he knew she wasn't really a demon per se, at least he didn't think so. But she was evil, and the longer he watched her, the more dense the black aura surrounding her became. Now that he was free of his medication, he could see again._

_Just like he had been able to see the evil in that family in Iraq; wolves in sheep's clothing. No one else saw, but he did. He had saved lives the day he had taken them out. And what did he get for his troubles? Years in a hospital to treat an illness he didn't have. But now he was on his own again, off of the medication that stifled his abilities, and thinking more clearly than he had in years. He blamed the medication for not allowing him to detect the evil in Samantha sooner, but now he could see it, clear as day._ _Now, it was time to avenge his brother and make her pay for destroying him. Time to rid the world of evil once again...it was his destiny._

* * *

Sam's stomach dropped. _Shit._ Keeping the phone to her ear, she looked around quickly as her right hand instinctively reached inside her jacket for her handgun. The doors locked, and his eerie voice followed.

"Before you get any ideas, you should know that the truck is wired. A sensor will alert me if you open the windows or unlock the doors. If you try to get out, or your boyfriend tries to get in, I blow it. If you take your gun out of your inside jacket pocket , I blow it. If you try calling someone, or I hear sirens, I blow it. Tell me you understand Samantha." Vince's voice was calm, like he'd done this a thousand times, and although Sam had tangled with her fair share of bad guys, it was daunting to hear him so relaxed.

"What do you want?" Sam's voice quivered with anger as it dawned on her what she had missed. Somehow, he had been tracking them this whole time, waiting for a moment when they were separated to attack. She looked around the empty lot, realizing they had made the opportunity way too easy. They had isolated themselves in a near empty lot on a near desolate stretch of highway. Probably a GPS tracker underneath the truck, she thought furiously. With as many stops that they'd made, and as careful as Jack had been, that was the only explanation.

"What do I want?" He sounded sincerely surprised that she didn't know. "I want you to suffer Samantha." He said slowly. "I want you both to suffer and then die, just like my brother did."

Sam's mind reeled at what he had told her about the bomb and the sensor. She was trying to picture how the device would be set up when she saw Jack walking out of the bar. _No, Jack._

She quickly reached over and hit the horn. Jack stopped and looked up quickly to see Sam's tight and anxious face. Her left hand was holding the phone to her ear and her right hand was telling him to stop. Jack's eyebrows furrowed and his jaw tightened as his hand went immediately to the small of his back and around the grip of his gun; his eyes darting around the near empty lot.

Vince's mocked approval was heard next, "Very good Samantha, very good. I'll take it from here." The line went dead.

That's when she saw Vince come around the corner of the bar to her right, about thirty feet away. She knew in an instant that even if she ignored his threat and went for her gun, she wouldn't have an open shot at him, not from that angle.

Jack followed her eyes and when he saw Vince, he pointed his gun at him.

Vince held up a black detonator, looking like a cross between a walkie talkie and a cell phone. Jack realized immediately that it was taped to his hand. "One button, I push one button and Samantha is gone."

Jack froze as he looked at the detonator, his mind racing.

Vince gave a tight smile, "What, no smartass comments?"

Jack glared back at him, "Oh just give me time you piece of shit," he muttered between clenched teeth.

Vince chuckled wryly and nodded at the gun, "Toss it over, now."

Jack hesitated, glancing at Sam. She shook her head no, hoping that he realized there was no way out of this for her. His best bet was to shoot him or they'd both be dead.

Jack looked at him hard, "Or I could just shoot you." His back straightened as his hand clenched the gun just a little tighter.

Vince's nod was barely noticeable, "You could, but you won't," he said confidently. "Even if you were able to," he angled the device so Jack could see the wide button his thumb was taped around and sneered, "Deadman's switch."

Jack looked at Sam again, a hopeless feeling gripping his stomach as he tried to think of options. At a loss, he realized Vince was right, there's no way he would be able to risk her life. Frustrated he hadn't seen this coming; he tossed the gun in the gravel by Vince's feet, "Just let her go, I'm the one you want. I'm the one who killed Pete."

Vince slowly picked up the gun and held it confidently. Jack could tell the guy was proud of himself; they had played right into his hands.

"Why don't we go back here and talk about it," Vince waved the gun towards the rear of the building.

Jack scoffed sarcastically and his eyes narrowed, letting the anger seep through, "Why don't you go fuck yourself. What is it with you guys huh? Did mommy and daddy not hug you two enough when you were little?"

The corners of Vince's mouth curled up slowly, "I guess you haven't learned."

He hit a button on the front of the detonator and Jack heard beeping coming from the truck. Sam's eyes widened and she looked at him desperately through the window.

Jack's face fell and threw his hands up quickly yelling, "Okay, okay! Stop! Just stop and I'll come."

Vince smirked and hit another button to stop the beeping, waving the gun at Jack again to walk in front of him toward the back of the bar.

As Jack walked, he took a moment to glance back at Sam, and lipped "love you," before disappearing around the corner.

Sam's mind raced as she watched Vince follow him. She pushed the panic down and tried to think logically. This was her wheelhouse and she knew it. "Think goddamn it," she muttered, closing her eyes to focus as she shoved the phone into her jacket pocket. Knowing damn well there wouldn't be enough time for her to call anybody and explain, let alone wait for them to arrive. They were on their own.

A survival checklist formed in her mind. Inventory; all she had with her in the front of the cab, was her purse. She grabbed it and quickly dumped the contents out on the driver's seat to see what she was working with. She knew starting the truck was out of the question, she couldn't risk him hearing the engine turn over. Her handgun was still in her jacket pocket but it wasn't going to help her here, breaking the glass in any way would be too loud.

She mentally separated the two main components apart, bomb and sensor. Okay, she thought, a wireless detonator signal works off of a certain radio frequency. There was no way to disrupt the signal from the detonator to the explosives, not without more time and the proper equipment that is. Then it clicked, but she might be able to disrupt the signal from the detonator to the sensor. If she could do that, she would be able to at least get out of the truck without him knowing. Since the doors and windows were powered, she knew the sensor wouldn't be hard wired. Which meant it was somehow wired to the fuses that controlled the power relay to the doors and windows.

Sam dug through the items from her purse and found the metal nail file and tweezers she was looking for. Then shifted to the other side of the cab and leaned over, looking for the fuse box. She located it quickly on lower left side of the steering wheel column and pulled off the cover. Inside were the fuses, all different sizes and colors. She gritted her teeth, knowing she didn't have time to root through the manual to determine which fuse was which, and looked for a way around it. "A screwdriver would be really handy right about now," she muttered as she looked at the screws holding in the fuse board. She tucked the tweezers in the back pocket of her jeans and looked at the file in her hand. Turning it around to the sharp end, she chopped at the four edges, breaking the plastic corners away from the screws as carefully as she could.

When they were broken away, she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Willing her hands steady, she lifted the board slowly and tilted it up to look underneath. In the mass of wires leading to the terminals that fed the board, there were two bright orange wires that caught her eye immediately, looking obviously out of place. Sam gently pulled the board towards her and laid it down. Then she used her fingers to separate the orange wires from the rest, tracing them to the terminals and locating the point where they had been loosely spliced into the existing wires. They had to be the wires for the sensor, one wire for the windows and one for the door locks. Trying to control her breathing, she put the file on the seat and grabbed the tweezers out of her back pocket.

Being careful not to touch metal to metal, she used the tweezers to grip the rubber wire casing of one of the wires and gripped the bundle of wires tightly with her other hand. In one hard swift motion, she yanked it away and froze, looking at the disconnected wire. She listened, hoping Vince didn't have some kind of failsafe set up. But all she could hear was the immense pounding of her heart as she quickly followed suit with the second wire and opened the driver's door slowly. Letting out a shaky sigh of relief, all she could think about now was getting to Jack. When they had walked around back, she had seen how Vince had made Jack walk in front of him. If she followed, there was a good chance Vince would hear her coming on the gravel, so she pulled out her handgun and headed around the other side of the building.

* * *

Once they rounded the back corner of the bar, Jack and Vince were about twenty feet apart. Jack looked around for a way out. For a moment he thought about rushing Vince but knew, just from seeing how he was handling the weapon, that he was well trained with small arms. By the time he got five feet, Vince would be able to gun him down no problem. So why hadn't he shot him already? Jack wondered.

"What now smart guy?" Jack spat.

The creepy smile Vince had been wearing since he showed himself disappeared. He eyes went dark and lifeless, and when he started talking, his voice came out low and bitter. "You don't get it do you? Pete wasn't just my brother; he was my best friend. He was the only one in my family, in my life, that believed in me after Iraq. Everybody else wanted to lock me away, and let me rot." Jack watched Vince's eye twitch and his jaw tighten, "He was all I had left and you ended him for what? Her?"

Jack took an angry breath. "Yeah well, maybe your brother shouldn't have been a rapist little bitch."

If only he could get closer to this guy, Jack thought, he could certainly break his arm in a way that he wouldn't be able to press anything, let alone buttons on a detonator. But he was too far away, and even he wasn't fast enough to stop a thumb from pressing a button. Out of ideas he thought about Sam. Maybe she would have time to call someone. Maybe all he had to do was stall him.

Vince's smirked and shook his head. "I have to admit, Pete was always gullible. When he met Samantha, he was sucked in," his nose scrunched up, looking disgusted, "told me on the second date he was going to marry her." He shook his head, "I told him to be careful, but…" he shrugged.

He sneered and waved the gun at him, "She's doing the same thing to you, you know, sucking you in." Vince shook his head disapprovingly, "Hell, you were so pre-occupied with her, you didn't even see me watching you."

Jack motioned out to him with his hands, "Well, now see, that's just weird, and a bit pervy I might add. Hey, maybe I should call you Tom instead, as in peeping…"

Vince ignored him, "You didn't see me breaking into your truck or wiring your house." He waved his hand with the detonator as he talked, "Don't you see? She's playing you, just like she played Pete."

"Yeah, I'm sure Pete attacking her was all her fault, and it had nothing to do with the fact he was a mental case, bonkers, nutzo, fucked in the head. What do you think, a family trait then?" he asked sarcastically.

Vince had actually started to feel sorry for this guy in front of him, this new pawn of hers. Now however, he tired of his mouth, his sarcastic banter and insults. Growing impatient, he ached to see the pain and loss in Jack's eyes before he paid for his role in Pete's death…he was done talking. It was time to erase them both. He nodded slowly and gave a small smile, "You learn by experience; I can respect that. You can't see how it felt for me to find out that the only person that mattered to me in the world had been murdered." He paused, "Here, let me show you."

Before Jack could speak, Vince raised the detonator up and pushed the button underneath his thumb. A huge explosion erupted, shaking the ground. Jack could feel the heat on his face from around the building.

Jack's heart stopped. "No!" His scream came out strangled, lost in the sound of destruction, as he bent over at the waist. His fists clenched and the darkness consumed him, barely holding him together as the searing pain of losing Sam threatened to tear him apart. When he looked up at Vince, his glassy eyes glared as his face contorted to full on rage. Nothing mattered anymore. A primal scream ripped from Jack's throat as he ran at Vince with everything he had, in a blind fury.

Vince's head tilted in morbid curiosity as he watched the man in front of him transform. He had expected a reaction from him sure, but not this raw intensity, this rage. For the first time in years his eyes widened in excitement and a real smile lit up his face…how glorious. Aiming the gun in his hand, he was determined to take him apart piece by piece. First the arms, then the knees, then the chest. He felt the weight of a full clip, and even with this guy running at him full speed, there was plenty of time to enjoy his slow and painful destruction.

* * *

Sam heard and felt the explosion as she rounded the far corner of the building. She heard Jack scream and then saw him running away from her and directly at Vince. Knowing she had only seconds before Jack closed the distance and blocked her shot with his body, she braced her right hand against the edge of the building, set her feet, and took aim at Vince just over Jack's right shoulder. She forced her breath out slowly as the firearm training mantra rang in her ears, 'Target, sights…press,' Her trigger finger depressed, letting the slack out slow and even, as the last of her breath emptied from her lungs. It came out as a whisper, "please." She fired three shots.

Vince sneered and fired calmly at Jack as he came at him. Jack didn't feel the first shot go through his left shoulder; it didn't even slow him down. As Vince aimed at the right shoulder, something in the distance caught his eye, and the sudden confusion paralyzed him. His face went slack as he pulled focus, _Samantha? But…how?_

Jack was ten feet from the object of his wrath, when Vince's chest exploded in front of him.

Jack fell forward onto his knees as the threat dissolved before his eyes, the body landing hard with a thud. His eyes went wide as he looked at the blood, not understanding how Vince could be lying dead when he was about to be his savior. Sure, he had hoped he could kill him before the damage from the bullets would bring him down. But in the end, he had been counting on Vince to take his life...to take the pain away.

As the darkness ebbed away, suffocating grief replaced it; soaking through him.

* * *

As soon as the bullets Sam fired hit, she ran to Jack. She'd been too late, she thought frantically. She had seen Vince get off a shot and watched Jack drop slowly to his knees. She ran to him with every ounce of strength she could muster. A minute after his knees hit the ground, Sam was on her knees in front of him, looking for the injury through teary eyes. "Jack, where are you hit? she asked as her hands ran shakily over his chest, before spotting the blood coming from his shoulder.

Jack looked at her blankly until realizing who was in front of him. "Sam?" he choked out. Was he dreaming? He couldn't believe she was there and he sucked in a sob as he threw his arms around her, hugging her fiercely.

"I'm right here Jack," Sam said through her tears, hugging him back. She separated from him so she could look at the wound, but Jack ignored it altogether.

His eyes were wide and his hands trembled as he reached out to cradle her face. "I thought I lost you," he whispered hoarsely as a tear streamed down his face.

Sam's hands went to the base of his neck, her mouth quivering as she tried not to think about how she had just watched him run into certain death. "No, no, no…I'm right here." She leaned forward and kissed him hard on the mouth before following with smaller kisses all over his face. Then she was hugging him again, crying through her relieved smile, "I'm right here Jack."

* * *

They didn't separate from their embrace until they heard the sirens. In the ambulance, Jack held her hand and stared at her as the EMT cut away his shirt to deal with the wound he had yet to acknowledge. He wouldn't let her out of his sight, refusing to get x-rays taken unless she went along. Once they were back in the room and his shoulder was stitched and bandaged, he asked her to lay down with him. It wasn't until he had her in his arms, that he asked her how she was able to get out of the truck. She explained everything, but the way his eyes roamed her face as she spoke, she was pretty sure he zoned out through most of it.

When they first arrived to the hospital, Sam had called General Hammond, as well as Daniel and Teal'c who said they were only a few hours away. By the time they had given their statements to the police, and Jack was patched up and waiting to be discharged, Daniel and Teal'c showed up.

"Hey guys," Daniel called out when they walked in the room. He gave Sam a big hug and Teal'c followed suit before they sat down.

"Daniel," Jack said back nonchalantly.

"So, how're you doing?" Daniel asked, pushing his glasses up before folding his arms across his chest.

"Well Daniel, I got shot... again," Jack said sarcastically.

"Yeah Jack, I can see that," Daniel smirked.

"And my truck was blown up," Jack finished.

"Weren't you just talking about getting another truck?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, in the future Daniel, the very _distant_ future," Jack acted irritated but Daniel just grinned.

"I am glad to see that you are both well O'Neill," Teal'c said with a hint of a smile and a tilt of his head.

"Thanks T," Jack smiled.

Sam felt grateful as she watched the guys go back and forth. Jack had been quiet and tense before their arrival; clinging to her as if expecting her to disappear.

When the nurse came back with Jack's discharge paperwork, they decided to continue up to the cabin together so Daniel and Teal'c could give them a ride and stay the night. By the time they arrived at the cabin and got settled in, they spent a short time talking before saying goodnight.

* * *

Jack went quiet again as he held Sam in bed, tracing her face with his fingertips, grazing slowly over her lips, her eyelids, her forehead, and her cheeks. Sam simply laid there in silence, letting his eyes wander over her face as his fingers caressed her, knowing that right then, it's what he needed. He needed to feel her under his touch, to chase away that last bit of doubt from his mind; convince him that she was really there and it wasn't all a dream. She watched as his eyes began to droop, the pain meds slowly taking effect and pulling him unwillingly into a deep slumber. When his hand dropped slowly to his chest and his breathing deepened, Sam breathed a shaky sigh of relief as she snuggled up against him. She laid her head on his chest, closed her eyes, and listened to the reassuring beat of his heart as she let her cleansing tears flowed.


	11. Epilogue

The next morning, Jack woke Sam up with a light kiss.

"Sorry," He said with a small smile at his watched her eyes flutter open, "I couldn't help myself."

Sam turned on her side to face him, groggy and wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Jack reached over and gently swept a stray hair out of her face, curling it around her ear, "More than okay."

"How's your shoulder," she asked as her eyes opened wider and leaned over him to check his bandage.

"It's fine. Really." He said softly as he kissed her forehead.

She stared at him, and a sense of relief washed over her. "Are Daniel and Teal'c up yet?"

"Yep, they just left to pick up some groceries." he smirked and a suggestive tone followed, "they'll be at least an hour."

Sam smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Well, an hour is a long time."

Jack flashed a look of feigned surprise, "Huh, I thought you said time was relative and all that, Major."

Sam pushed him back and straddled him, "I'll show you relative Colonel."

Jack flashed her his boyish smile, "Major Samantha Carter, I am at your mercy."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," she said as she quickly divested Jack of his boxers, followed by her t-shirt and underwear, before straddling him low on his hips. Jack let out a soft moan as her hands grazed his already hardened length, then drifted up his stomach and across his chest. She scooted up and bent her body over his, letting her hardened nipples rest against him as she reveled in the moment. He was finally hers. She paused above him, her mouth inches away from his, as her hands drifted to his neck and up behind his ears; the short greying hairs on the back of his neck feeling soft against her fingertips.

When her gaze met his, she tried to memorize every detail of his warm chocolate filled eyes. Anyone else might've seen a blank stare, hardened and guarded, purposely devoid of emotion. It was a defense tactic he had perfected after years of Black Ops missions before the Stargate program was even on the map for him. She knew it had saved their lives countless times on other planets, and was so second nature, it had become a part of him now. But over the years, she had honed the ability to decipher the minuscule differences that revealed whether he was hurting or concerned, suspicious or unsettled. As she looked at them now, the color seemed to darken slightly as they stared back at her, confident and unwavering. Her head tilted at the subtle nuance that made this look just a little different from lust or passion. Not as dark, not as intense.

Her eyes brightened when she landed on it. Contentment…love maybe…she decided. She smiled suddenly, feeling the same warming thrill she felt when conquering the solution to an impossible equation. Jack's eyebrows raised a bit, noticing her sudden smile, "What?" he asked softly. Sam didn't answer and instead closed the distance and claimed his mouth with hers, tasting and nipping his soft lips. He responded immediately, raising his head off the pillow, and cradling the sides of her neck with his hands as his tongue slipped through her parted lips and met hers with a low groan.

Their kisses deepened until his head dropped back to the pillow, and with a grunt of pain, he dropped the hand attached to his wounded shoulder with a wince.

Cringing, Sam glanced at him worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Jack gave a her a small smile and grazed her cheek with the thumb of the hand still resting on her face, "Yep, don't you worry about me."

Sam glanced down at his still hardened shaft and the corners of her mouth curled up seductively, "Maybe I can distract you from the pain."

His eyes brightened as he chuckled lightly, "I have no doubt."

Backing off of him, she kissed and teased her way down his body until she was lying in between his legs. Their eyes met for a moment, and she saw his jaw clench in anticipation. She licked her lips and blew on the tip of him. Then wrapped her wet lips around his broad head, and slid her mouth down over the length of him, taking in as much as she could and gaining a thrust and a loud moan from Jack. Humming while she stroked him slowly with her mouth and feeling herself getting wet, she finally released him and then used her flattened tongue to lick her way up his shaft. Once she arrived at the tip, she gave her undivided attention to his thick head. Licking, sucking and tasting until she felt him twitch hard in her mouth. She heard him release a combination of a gasp and groan, and licked up the rewarding drip greedily. "You're too damn good at that," he growled before reaching down, taking the hand she had resting on his thigh, and tugging, coaxing her to move back up.

She flashed a small smile his way, knowing that going down on him was just as much of a turn on for her, as it was for him. It amazed her how much that groan of his made the heat pool low in her belly. Immediately, it crossed her mind to ignore him, and take the opportunity to tease him more with her mouth. But she ached to feel him inside of her, and decided to save it for another time as she crawled her way up his body. She straddled him again, wanting to show him what tasting him had done to her. When she rested her dripping heat on top of his length and rocked herself against him, Jack groaned, "Christ Sam." His hands grabbed tight onto her hips and his eyes narrowed as he watched his shaft get covered with her juices; marveling at how good it felt and knowing he could certainly come like that if she kept it up. The way the hood of her clit was catching on the ridge of his thick head on every pass, made her groan. Sam looked down at him, taking in his hard jawline, his lean muscled chest and arms. She looked into his lustfully dark and trusting eyes, wanting nothing more than to be one with him. Right here, right now, nothing else mattered.

Sam reached between them and lifted her hips before guiding him into her slowly. Closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip as she felt herself stretch to accommodate him, and groaned shakily as he filled her. God he was throbbing.

Jack felt how impossibly wet she was and emitted a low growling moan, cursing under his breath as her tight entry swallowed him whole. Once she had seated him completely, her body shuddered and she gasped his name, instinctively clenching around him. Jack grunted and Sam opened her eyes to find his closed and his head tilted back. He gripped her hips harder, motioning her forward, urging her to move. Bracing her hands on his lower chest, she leaned forward and rolled her hips and ass, rocking herself up and down onto his hard shaft. She grazed her lips against his, prompting him to open his eyes as she kept her movements slow, feeling every inch as she lifted herself almost completely off of him, only to bury him back inside of her. His eyes opened, dark and narrowed as his shallowed breaths and grunts seeped through his slightly opened mouth.

Sam tried to ignore the coiling sensation forming deep within her, wanting to savor this perfect feeling. She whimpered in frustration, closing her eyes as she tried to hold back, knowing she wouldn't last much longer. It just felt too goddamn good.

She felt a hand on the side of her head, and Jack's lips on hers, pulling her out of herself. When she opened her eyes, he pulled back from the kiss, but his hand remained as his earnest eyes met hers. His voice a rough whisper, "Let go Sam…I want all of you, remember?"

Sam moaned as she felt herself let go. Her eyes were bright and blazing, as she pushed her chest off of his and sped up, pumping herself onto him with reckless abandon. Jack grunted and moaned, as he watched her ride him in awe, her walls pulling on him with every stroke. He placed his hand down between them and circled his thumb against her clit. Sam's gasped as she leaned forward and grabbed the headboard. Using it for leverage, she started to move faster, using her thigh muscles to prevent her from landing too hard on him. Jack was amazed at how fast she was riding him and gritted his teeth, "Holy hell," Jack swirled her clit even faster with his thumb and felt Sam falter as she came hard. "Oh God Jack!" she yelled.

Jack leaned up and curled his good arm around her waist. With his feet on the bed and his knees bent, he thrusted up into her, pulling her generously through the orgasm. He felt her walls quivering around him and it was sending him over the edge. "Ah fuck," he gasped, dropping back down as Sam recovered and started riding him again; determined to give as good as she got. Still feeling the small fleeting waves of pleasure, she felt his body tighten and his stomach muscles clenching. Without slowing, she bent down over him and brought her face to his, "Come for me Jack, I want all of you too," grazing her lips against his before leaning back up.

Jack's eyes narrowed as the electric arrows of built up pressure shot through his spine and overtook him, arching his back and thrusting his hips upwards. Never leaving her eyes, he came harder than she'd seen him yet, with a loud moan that came out like a yell. Sam kept riding hard through his orgasm, pulling his body through release after release. It wasn't until Jack cursed and grabbed her ass to still her that Sam slowed. When she finally stopped, she leaned back and closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of him fully seated inside of her. Sam looked down at him while catching her breath, and noticed his mouth was slightly agape. She couldn't help but giggle at the sated expression on his face and leaned down onto his chest while he embraced her with his good arm.

"No giggling," he said breathily.

Sam kissed him, "Hope I didn't hurt you, I tried to be gentle."

Jack smirked, "My shoulder's fine, but I think I'm seeing stars."

"Well, you did say you were at my mercy," she smirked, kissing his chest.

He barked out a laugh, "Me and my big mouth."

They stayed there for a moment until Sam finally unmounted him and laid on her side, her thigh draped over his and pressed against him with her head and hand on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat slow to normal, as she grazed his thin greying chest hair with her fingertips. Her heart fluttered at the thought that this might be permanent. It almost seemed too good to be true.

Jack looked down at Sam, loving the way she was touching him. He knew for her, it was probably an absentminded action, but to him it was so much more. It was intimate and loving the way she draped her thigh over his, and caressed his chest. How did he get to be so lucky? He wanted to ask her to marry him, to make him the happiest man alive. But the timing was all wrong, she deserved more than just a quick proposal.

He thought about them moving in together so he could spoil her on a regular basis first. Then after some time, he would ask for her hand in marriage while they were alone and isolated, behind a warm waterfall maybe, while they were wet and naked, in each other's arms. And when she said yes, he would place a ring on her finger, and make love to her slowly and completely; letting the sounds of the cascading waterfall drown out every other thought and sound around them. His heart warmed thinking about the possibilities. Ideas of a Naquadah ring, and borrowing the Stargate for a trip somewhere special for a honeymoon, bounced around aimlessly in his head.

Jack glanced at the clock on his night stand and groaned at the thought of having to move. Suddenly wishing he had told the guys to leave entirely instead of just grocery shopping. He kissed the top of her head, "As much as I would love to stay like this, the guys should be back soon. We should probably get a shower," he said reluctantly.

She looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

He immediately realized what see was thinking, and held a finger up while he shook his head, "Oh no, uh uh…nope... after what you just did to me?"

Sam smiled big and rolled her eyes. "Oh, all right, I'll go first," as she slowly rolled out of bed.

She looked back at him curiously when she heard him chuckle softly. He shook his head, smirking, "I knew it."

She shot him a look of humored confusion, "What?"

He smiled as he propped up onto his elbow, enjoying watching her get up, "That you were going to be an absolute animal in bed." Sam blushed before he finished, "I just knew when you attacked me in the locker room that time, there had to be _something_ to it."

Sam shook her head and a gave a sly smile, "I don't know what you're talking about," she said in mocked innocence.

When she got to the doorway, she pressed her naked body against the edge of the door and glanced back at him, her voice turning serious and eyes narrowing seductively, "Oh Jack, you haven't seen anything yet," she said before disappearing around the corner.

Jack's mouth opened and his eyes widened, "That better be a joke." When she didn't answer, his voice rose an octave nervously, "Sam? That's a joke, right?"

* * *

When Daniel and Teal'c returned with the groceries, Jack was in the kitchen sipping his coffee. He was leaning against the countertop, looking freshly showered, "Hey guys!" he said cheerfully, "how was the shopping?"

Daniel gave him a weird look, "Uhhh, fine," he said slowly. "How's everything here?"

Jack smiled brightly, "Good, fine...great even."

Daniel eyes narrowed and he looked at him oddly, "Uh huh, and Sam?"

Jack nodded as he started putting away groceries, "She's good," he said nonchalantly. "Really good," he muttered suggestively under his breath, a little too loudly.

Daniel made a face, "Uh eww."

Jack gave a smug smile and shrugged in a 'sorry, not sorry,' kind of way.

Teal'c looked back and forth between them, wearing a confused frown, "Do you not wish Major Carter to be well Daniel Jackson?"

"No, no, it's not that Teal'c, it's...oh, never mind," Daniel shook his head before taking the mug of coffee Jack had poured, as if trying to physically shake the visual from his mind.

Sam came out of the bedroom, combing her hair back with her hands. She was wearing a pair of Jack's sweatpants rolled up and one of his t-shirts tied at the waist, "Hey guys," she said cheerfully, flashing one of her thousand-watt smiles.

Daniel scrunched up his nose and shook his head again, "Ugh…uh, I'll be outside," he said as he made his way for the back porch.

Sam stopped when she was next to Jack and put her arm around his waist before taking the coffee he handed her, looking confused, "What was that all about?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders, "Eh, it's Daniel," as if that alone was enough explanation.

* * *

An hour later, the four of them were sitting in chairs on the dock.

"So, this is the famous fishing pond," Sam said with a smile as she put a worm on her hook, wearing one of his flannel shirts.

Jack smirked next to her, "Well, I don't know about famous... or fishing for that matter," he said slowly. "It's a nice pond though."

Sam nodded and cast out the line. Jack looked impressed by the distance, "Nice."

Sam breathed in the fresh air, "This is really great. I kinda wish I had come out sooner."

"Yes well, don't we all," he said with a smile.

After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat, "So, I was thinking, that maybe you could uh, stay with me at my place when we get back. If you want."

She looked at him surprised, "Really? You'd be okay with that?"

He nodded sincerely with a gleam in his eyes, "I would."

She gave him one of her bright smiles, "Sounds like a great idea."

He gave her a lazy smile back, looking relieved, "Sweet."

She leaned over slowly and Jack met her halfway for a slow languid kiss.

Behind them Daniel cringed, looking up and away, "Yeesh, this is going to take a while to get used to."

Teal'c looked at Daniel and then back at Jack and Sam still kissing, before tilting his head with a hint of a smile, "Indeed."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic. Let me know how I did and thanks for reading! :-)


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